Seeking Sky
by WorldsApartx
Summary: Everything has changed in Sky's life. As if finding out you have a long-lost grandfather isn't bad enough, she's sent to a top boarding school in England and then she finds out who her father is and it changes everything. Then there's Zed, the cute, school bad boy that seems to hate her guts. Will Sky's life ever be normal again?
1. I'll be the princess

I glanced up at the sign for 'Royal College of Alexandra' and sighed as Simon drove me into the grounds along a long, grand, gravel driveway. Just three weeks ago, my life had seemed relatively normal. As normal as it could have been. I had a few friends, we were living not far from the Cornish coast and Sally and Simon were working in a lovely gallery over-looking a sandy bay. I looked down at my jeans, fiddling with the embroidered detail at the top of them. I was here, at the Royal College of Alexandra, because a long-lost grandfather of mine had enrolled me. He wanted me to have the best education and to follow the footsteps of the ancestors I knew nothing about. My mother had been a kind woman, until she and her boyfriend had been in a house fire when I was just three-years-old. Then I'd been passed onto an 'aunt' who had a liking to drugs and drinking, before ending up adopted by Sally and Simon Bright. When they'd found me, I wasn't even able to give them a name, so they'd called me Sky after my bright blue eyes. I'd not known much about my father, only that he was called 'Ian' and now I knew that his father's name was Albert. My grandfather. Looking around at the grand buildings and the teenagers hurrying around in their smart uniforms, I knew that my grandfather had money. But then, to send your granddaughter, who you've never met, to a boarding school known for educating Royals and the filthy-rich, you had to have a lot of money and you had to be important.

'Sky, are you okay back there?' Sally asked, a concerned look in her eyes as she turned to face me as we continued to follow the sign for 'Boarding Houses.'

'As I'll ever be.'

'It's a lot to take on.' Simon said, sympathetically. 'You know I didn't want you to come here. We've never even met the bloke.'

'It might give Sky some time to learn about her family.' Sally said to him, not to me. 'And it is the highest-rated school in England.'

'But she was settled and now she's got to settle into living in a boarding school. Without us.'

'We'll only be a twenty minute drive away.'

This argument had become a daily thing. Sally thought it would do me some good, but Simon was against the whole thing. He wasn't particularly soppy but I knew he was going to miss me, whether he said so or not.

'I want to meet him.' I told them, suddenly, making them both glance up to look at me in the mirror of the car. 'I want to meet my grandfather.'

'Maybe settle into school first.' Simon suggested as he pulled into an empty parking space outside of a building named _Victoria House._

'If he sent me here, I at least need to know why it's so important that I had to move away from Newquay and to Kingston-upon-Thames.' I frowned and Sally sighed.

'She's right.' She said to Simon before turning back to face me. 'I'll give him a call and tell him you want to meet him.' I nodded in response as she gave me a small, nervous smile. Her lip wobbled and I wondered if she was going to cry.

'Sally, Simon, whatever happens, you're my mum and dad, okay?' I told them, tucking a blonde curl behind my ear. Sally and Simon both smiled at that. A small smile, but it was there.

'Come on kiddo, let's get you registered.' Simon said, breaking the emotional moment between us. He was good at that.

We signed in at a reception area in Victoria House, where a woman wearing a dress suit and thick-rimmed specs eyeballed us as she entered our details into the system. She printed out a form for Sally and Simon to sign and then she turned to me. 'Miss Bright, your room is on the first floor of Victoria House, Room 18.' She passed me an envelope. 'You have two keys in here, one to get into your room and the other to get into the building. There are also the Boarding House rules, a menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and your schedule.'

'Thank you.' I replied, my voice quiet.

'It's a pleasure.' Her dark eyes twinkled at me and I shifted, uncomfortably as a few girls passed me, whispering to each other.

Sally walked me to my room whilst Simon started unloading the car. When I opened the door, I was surprised to see that my roommate, whoever that was, had already settled in. Her duvet cover was a deep shade of pink and her bed was covered with different-sized orange and gold cushions. Her noticeboard was covered with polaroids of family and friends, and a few inspirational sayings, which made me smile. I glanced over at my bare side of the room. The white mattress had a folded duvet and two goose-feather pillows sat on it. My bedside table was empty, apart from a small white lamp. The noticeboard had lots of tiny holes in it from where it had been used before. My wardrobe and dresser both looked sparse, except for the full-length mirror on one of the wardrobe doors. It contrasted with the other side of the room, which was full of colour.

'You have a lovely view.' Sally told me from her spot outside the window. I walked over and glanced outside. There was a large tree next to the window and then rolling hills, disappearing into the distance. It was a nice view.

'Well this pretty spacious.' Simon said, appearing in the room with a suitcase and the bag full of bedding we'd bought at Dunelm Mill. 'I'll go and get the rest.'

'I'll help.' Sally offered and they left me in the room.

I bit my lip and sat down on my bed, nervously, trying to take in everything that had happened in the last few weeks; finding out my grandfather was still alive, moving to Richmond and then moving to Kingston-upon-Thames to live in a boarding house and start a school. I sighed and then jumped when I saw three girls stood in the doorway.

'Sorry, we didn't mean to scare you.' A girl with long brunette hair and a full-fringe said, giving me a small smile. She had a girl with caramel-toned skin and gingery brown hair on her right and a girl from Chinese heritage with shiny black hair on her left. 'I'm Lucy, your room-mate.' She introduced herself. 'And these are my friends Tina and Zoe. They're in the room across the hall.'

'Do you need a hand unpacking?' Tina, the girl with gingery-brown hair, asked, politely.

'That would be great.' I said with a nervous smile. 'Thanks.'

'Not a problem.' My roommate's smile became brighter. 'The quicker we can help you unpack, the quicker we can give you a guided tour, right?'

The girls didn't speak much as they unpacked with me, only occasionally pausing to compliment my clothes or belongings. I decided it was probably because Simon and Sally were there, chatting to me as Simon made my bed with my blue duvet cover, which was decoated with little birds, and plumped up the fluffy cream cushions we'd bought, whilst Sally attached a blue floral wallpaper to my noticeboard to jazz it up a little.

Sally and Simon decided to leave me with the girls after they'd helped me unpack. They'd both pulled me into a hug and had kissed the top of my head, Sally whispering, 'Remember Sky, you're special. You will fit in just fine.' After they'd gone, leaving me in the unfamiliar place I was going to have to call home, I turned to the girls I hoped would be my friends.

'Thanks for your help.' I said, nervous that I was now alone with three girls I didn't know.

'You're welcome.' Lucy smiled.

'Now come on,' Zoe said, stretching out her arms. 'We owe you a tour.'

The grounds of the school were huge and it was an exhausting trek that afternoon. We walked past the other Boarding Houses first, which were all in the same area of the campus, away from classes. The four Boarding houses were each named after royalty; Victoria, Elizabeth, Edward and Henry. The Queen-named buildings were strictly for girls-only and the King-named for boys. Apparently, one of the rules was that boys could not go in the girls' boarding houses and visa-versa. Although, as Tina had pointed out, some rules were meant to be broken. We continued walking around the old buildings and the girls showed me where classes were. Thankfully, I had at least one of them in each class so that was a little bit of a relief. We walked across to the library, which had wooden walls, engraved with flowers, and two-stories full of books, old and new. There were the music rooms, which I particularly liked, each with a piano, the theatre and the chapel. We ended our tour by walking past the stables and circling the lake once, a place I knew I'd spend a lot of time sat by in the summer.

Dinner was served in the dining hall at 5.30pm. The room was laid out in long, wooden tables and students carried their trays around before taking seats with their friends, chatting away. I opted for sausage, mash and peas and then followed Tina as she led the way across the dining room, passing cliques. There were geeky-looking people, a few with thick-glasses and the others with their noses in books. There was a group of people wearing the latest designer clothes, looking down their noses at us as we passed. There were Indie people, wearing band t-shirts and hippy clothing. Then there were the girls with the low-cut tops and tight skirts, who seemed to be glaring us we passed. I swallowed and sucked in a deep breath as I sat down beside Lucy, on a table in the corner.

'So, Sky, how did you end up here, huh?' Tina asked after taking a sip of her glass of water. The girls glanced up at me, their eyes curious.

'It's a long story.' I sighed, poking the sausage on my plate.

'We have time.' She gave me a reassuring smile.

'Well a grandfather I didn't know I had got in contact a few weeks back.' I said, pushing my peas into my mashed potato to mix them together. 'He told me that he was desperate to meet me and that I needed to come here because my family have been coming here ever since the school opened.' I crinkled my nose. 'Sally and Simon are my adopted parents and they weren't sure but then there was an opening at a gallery in Richmond and they wanted me to get a good education so they sent me here.'

'And this grandfather? What's he like?' Lucy asked.

'I don't know. I'm hoping I meet him soon.' I bit my lip.

'What's your family name?' Zoe said.

'I guess that's something else I need to find out.' I sighed. A tall, muscular guy with tanned skin and rugged dark hair and eyes passed us, scowling and I couldn't help but give him a once-over. He was tall, dark and handsome. Lucy and Zoe turned around before glancing back at me, sighing.

'Zed Benedict.' Tina said from beside me. 'Girls, he's gorgeous, I know, but we're sixteen now and gawping really isn't playing it cool.'

'He's just so...' Lucy started.

'Dreamy.' Zoe finished her sentence, her cheeks flushed.

'He is.' I agreed with a small smile as I watched him walk out of the dining room.

'Hey ladies!' A guy appeared at our table, pushing his designer glasses up his nose. 'Who's your new friend?'

'Hey Nelson.' Tina said with a friendly smile. 'This is Sky, Lu's new roommate.'

'A pleasure to meet you.' Nelson held out my hand and shook it. 'Please tell me you lovely ladies are coming to my party later.'

'Of course, I totally forgot.' Lucy said as the girls turned to look at me.

'Party?' I raised my eyebrows. 'You're allowed parties here?'

'Only the formal events.' Tina said. 'But Nelson's parents live just ten minutes away and they're always out of town at this time of year.'

'I've even roped in Jack's band this year.' Nelson grinned. 'It should be great. Obviously, though, it's invite only as normal. My guy will be on the door.'

'Your guy?'

'Security.' Nelson nodded at her and I wondered why I was surprised. The school was famous for famous students, rich families and Royalty. 'So you'll be there?'

'Of course.' Tina smiled. Nelson saluted and disappeared out of the dining room, following a group of guys. I shot my new friends a questionnable look and Tina continued, 'Right. Nelson's dad works in Parliament. Hence the security. His parties are epic but they never end up crazy and out of hand because there's always security around. You're coming right?'

I bit my lip, nervously. 'Sure.'

An hour later and we were stood in mine and Lucy's room, picking out the outfits for the evening. The girls had made me wear my blonde hair down, so it fell in curls cascading down my back and they'd added a little make-up to my eyes, making them stand out even more than normal.

'What about this?' I held up jeans and a blouse Sally had found for me at a vintage shop back in Newquay.

'It's lovely,' Lucy said, 'but it doesn't really work for the party.' She pulled out a black lace dress for herself, holding it against her. I glanced at the label; French Connection. Eek.

'It's just a house party, isn't it?' I glanced at my wardrobe. I didn't really do dressy. I'd packed plaid shirts, a few blouses and a few pairs of jeans.

'Here.' Tina threw me a cream-coloured dress with a sweetheart neckline from Lucy's wardrobe. 'This will look good on you.' I accepted it, nervously, and headed to the bathroom down the hall to get changed. I pulled it on and glanced at it in the mirror. It suited me, although it went down to my knees, whereas I knew it would be shorter on Lucy. I headed back to the room and the girls smiled at me as I slipped on my ankle boots, adding a little more 'Sky' to the outfit.

'Your phone was ringing.' Lucy told me, passing me my Samsung. I glanced at the unfamiliar number and then it started to ring again.

'Hello?' I said, answering it.

'Miss Bright?' A woman send in a Queen's English accent.

'This is her.' I replied, nervously, as my friends continued getting ready.

'I'm calling from your Grandfather's office.' She continued. 'He'd like to meet you for afternoon tea tomorrow.'

My eyes widened. I wasn't expecting to see him _that_ quickly. 'Erm, yes of course.' I stumbled.

'He's happy to organise another day if that's a problem. He understands that you have only just moved into school today.'

'No tomorrow is fine.' I said and my friends shot curious glances my way.

'A car will be with you at two.' The woman said and then she was gone. A car?

'Everything okay?' Tina asked, smoothing down her silky halterneck dress.

I nodded, my stomach filled with butterflies. 'My grandfather wants to meet me tomorrow.'

Nelson's house wasn't far from campus but he'd still sent a few cars to pick us up. His house was a short drive away, along a road filled with large houses behind gates. A security guard let us in when the car dropped us outside and I couldn't help but gawp when the large, black, iron gates opened for us. The house was built out of brick and had white pillars either side of the front door, a balcony overhead. Tina gave our names on the door and we were let into the house I knew Sally and Simon would never be able to afford, not without winning the lottery. We walked in through the hallway, giving our coats to a lady dressed in black, and Nelson greeted us each with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

'Thanks for coming ladies.' He said, cheerily. 'Come on in.'

He led us through one reception room and into another, where there were party-goers dressed in their gladrags, dancing to a band, who were on a makeshift stage. The house had been decorated traditionally, so somehow seeing a rockband dancing and singing in the middle of a living room seemed out of place. Tina grabbed us each a drink, a glass of punch, and we took a spot by the stage.

'So are we allowed to sneak out?' I asked, curiously as I sipped the punch. It was definitely alcoholic.

'We have a curfew.' Zoe replied, making a face. 'It's as bad as being at home.'

'And what time is curfew?'

'Ten.' Lucy replied. 'But I doubt we'll be back by then.'

My stomach sank. 'Won't we get in trouble?'

'Not if we sneak back in.' Tina smiled. 'Relax Sky, we're your friends. We're not going to get you in trouble. We've done this a million times.'

I took another sip of my drink, feeling the alcohol trickling down my throat. I wasn't a heavy drinker. Or a party-goer. In fact, I'd hardly gone to parties back home. Only birthday parties for my few friends or the odd sleepover. I'd never been invited to a big house party so it was all news to me. My eyes were drawn towards the doorway as Zed Benedict walked in, beside a guy who looked very similar, only slightly shorter and with glasses on. They had to be brothers.

'Yves!' Tina waved at Zed's brother and he walked over to us, a friendly smile on his face.

'Hey Tina, Zoe, Lucy.' He turned to me. 'You must be the new girl, right?'

'This is Sky.' Tina said, introducing us.

'Pleased to meet you. I'm Yves.' He shook my hand. 'This band is pretty cool, huh?'

'Yeah.' I smiled. They were. They were the sort of stuff I would listen to on Youtube or on my iPod.

 _'She said to me,_

 _"Forget what you thought_

 _'Cause good girls are bad girls that haven't been caught._

 _So just turn around and forget what you saw_

 _'Cause good girls are bad girls that haven't been caught."'_

I tapped my foot to the music as Yves said something to Tina and then disappeared. 'So are you and Yves an item?' I asked and my friend laughed before shaking her head.

'Oh don't get me wrong, Yves is lovely and he's cute.' She smiled. 'But he doesn't really have time for girls. He's too busy being a straight A student all the time. His mum owns her own publishing company and his dad is in charge of stunts in loads of blockbuster movies. Yves wants to make a name for himself without being compared to his parents.'

'I don't blame him. I think I'd like to work hard to get there instead of having it handed to me too.' I said, thoughtfully. Lucky, with everything that had happened, my feet were firmly on the ground. I glanced over at my roommate, who seemed to be absent in the conversation. She was watching a guy with blonde, scruffy hair and green eyes. He smiled her way and she blushed.

'Oh, Luce, I can't have another year of you swooning over Nathaniel Kingsley.' Tina groaned, nudging her friend as Zoe laughed. 'Just make a move on him already.' I shot them a curious glance and Zoe smiled.

'Nate and Lucy have known each other since they were babies.' Zoe said, filling me in. 'They were best friends in prep school and now they're just... this.' She signalled to Lucy who was blushing, wildly.

'Shut up.' Lucy glared at her friends, trying to hide her embarassment.

'We will when you actually approach him for once. He's clearly into you.' Tina rolled her eyes as Nathaniel glanced over again.

'Can we please change the subject now?'

We spent the night dancing and giggling, talking about our lives, our families and our hopes for the future and I soon felt like I'd known the girls my whole life. Ten o'clock passed and quite a few of the guests left, heading back to school to avoid being in trouble. After the band finished, Nelson plugged in his iPod and I headed over to get another drink, trying to hide the nervous feelings I was getting about meeting my grandfather the following day. I poured myself another glass of punch and then turned around, walking straight into someone's chest.

'Sorry.' I said, nervously. I glanced up to see I'd walked into the gorgeous Zed Benedict. My cheeks flushed red.

'Whatever.' He scowled, his voice low and irritated. He didn't move, so I stepped around him, frowning. What was his problem? It was an accident. I rolled my eyes as I walked over to rejoin my friends.

I was woken up the next day by the most annoying alarm. I groaned, pulling my pillow over my head, which was aching. Eventually, Lucy pulled me out of bed against my will and we met the others at breakfast, all of us exhausted. We'd got back just after midnight, having sneaked through a back gate that I didn't know existed and then hurrying past the lake and past the stables as quick as we could. In the rain. We'd been soaked when we'd got back, but at least we'd gone unnoticed. After breakfast, the girls and I headed back to bed for a bit and then I eventually pulled myself up to have a shower.

The one thing I was finding hard about being in a Boarding school was the shared bathroom. There was an area filled with toilet cubicles and sinks with mirrors decorated with lights around the outside like in a dressing room. They were clean and posh-looking, which was fine. Then there were the showers. Cubicles, again, with a hook outside for your towel and clothes. That was all well and good, but I had visions of someone swiping my clothes and towel, leaving me naked in a cubicle. I showered and washed my hair quickly, constantly checking with my hand that my belongings were still there. Then I got dressed into a plaid shirt and jeans, unsure of what I was supposed to wear for afternoon tea with my grandfather. I tied my hair into a bun and before I knew it, it was time to go.

'Miss Bright?' There was a man stood outside, middle-aged, wearing a suit, a hat and gloves.

'Yes?' I croaked, nervously. It ended up sounding more like a question than an answer.

'I'm Wilfred, your grandfather asked me to pick you up today.' He held out his gloved hand and shook mine as a few girls and guys stopped and glanced my way, whispering. I sucked in a deep breath. My grandfather had his own driver? What on earth?

'Erm, thanks.' I said with a small smile. Wilfred walked over to the posh car, opening the backdoor for me and I climbed inside onto the sleek, leather seats. He climbed into the front seat and closed the door, turning on the engine quickly.

'How are you liking your new school?' He asked as he drove down the gravel driveway, leaving a few of my peers gawping at me.

'It's okay.' I shrugged, looking down at my short fingernails, short because I'd been chewing them.

'Your family have been coming here for over one hundred years.' He said, cheerfully. The gate opened and he drove out onto the road.

'So I've heard.' I glanced out at the window, watching as we passed hills, large parks and big houses, including Nelson's house I'd been to the night before. We continued driving until we reached a quaint house. Wilfred parked the car and opened the door for me before I could open it myself.

'There you are, Miss Bright.' He said, bowing slightly. I glanced at him, feeling uneasy with the formality.

'Thank you.' I bit my lip and looked up at the grand building in front of us. Tourists hurried past, snapping photos of the house and gardens in the September sunlight.

A woman in a pink tweed dress suit hurried down the steps towards me, bowing her head in a greeting. 'It's wonderful to meet you, dear.' She said and I spotted the security guard behind her, earpiece in and suit on. I swallowed. Who _was_ my grandfather? 'I'm Clarence, I'm your grandfather's assistant. Please follow me, he's waiting for you inside.'

I followed the woman as she trotted back up the steps in her court shoes, the security guard taking his position behind me as we walked inside. It made me feel nauseous. We walked through the lobby area of the National Trust building and then I followed Clarence down the corridor, past a restaurant and to a closed door, which had two security men outside. They nodded at us as Clarence knocked on the door before entering.

'Sir, I've got your granddaughter Sky here to see you.' She said to the gentleman who was facing the fireplace.

'Very well. Let her in.'

Clarence gave me a reassuring smile and nudged me forward. I hadn't even realised I'd frozen on the spot. I walked carefully, my ankle boots noisy against the wooden floor of the posh-looking library. I paused when I reached the sofa opposite the armchair my grandfather was sat on. The door closed and he turned to face me. His hair was white and his face was wrinkled, more so around the mouth and eyes from laughing and smiling. His eyes looked kind and he wore a suit which looked very expensive.

'It's wonderful to meet you at last, Sky.' He said, formally, holding his hand out for me. I shook it, hoping my hands weren't too clammy. 'Do sit down, my dear.'

I sat down carefully, wishing I'd worn something smarter or borrowed something from Lucy at least. I looked scruffy in my blue plaid shirt, jeans and brown ankle boots.

'Tea?' He offered, holding up a teapot.

'Please.'

He poured us each a cup of tea and I bit my lips, nervously. 'Sally and Simon said you wanted to meet me?' I nodded, unsure of what to say. 'I was going to give you a call after you'd settled in but I was more than happy to clear my schedule to meet you earlier.' There was a knock at the door and a waitress walked in, curtsied, and then placed a cake stand on the table between us. It was laden with scones, tiny cakes and finger sandwiches. She smiled and then walked out again.

'I just... felt I needed to meet the person who was paying a fortune for me to go to a private school.' I said, aware I was rambling a little.

'That's fair.' He nodded, sipping at his tea. 'The Royal College of Alexandra is a wonderful school.'

'And it's been a place of education for my family for over one hundred years.'

'Exactly.' He smiled. 'I went there myself, you know. I was head of the lacrosse team.'

'Lacrosse?' My eyebrows furrowed.

'You'll find out about that soon enough.' He said. 'But we have more important matters to discuss.'

'We do?'

'How is your room?'

'It's fine.' I shrugged.

'And your roommate?'

'She's lovely.' I smiled a little and felt glad I'd taken painkillers before leaving. My headache was starting to disappear.

'Good.' He nodded at the food on the table. 'Sandwich?'

I carefully took a finger sandwich filled with egg and placed it on the floral side plate. I ate it carefully, trying not to make a mess. Mayonaise oozed onto my fingers and I licked it off of my fingers. I looked up to see my grandfather was watching me, an unreadable expression on his face. I finished my sandwich, not sure I could really eat anymore with him watching me. I placed the plate down and wiped my fingers on a napkin.

'Do you know your real name at all Sky? Or anything about your family's history at all?'

'No.' I replied, looking down at my grubby fingernails again.

'Well,' he sat back in his arm chair as I glanced up again, 'you were born Chloe Elizabeth Henderson. Although I understand that some awful circumstances meant that you lost that name.' He looked at me, sadly. 'I'm sorry you had a tough upbringing. If your father would have known you existed then things would have been very different.'

'It's okay. ' I said, unsure of what else to say in response to that. Chloe Elizabeth Henderson? Really?

'I'm surprised at all that your mother gave you your father's surname. Not that it's made you easy to trace of course. We've had investigators searching for you for several years.' That surprised me. They'd been looking for me that long? I must have looked surprised because he continued, 'family is very important to your father and I. One can have all the riches in the world but none of that matters if you do not have people to love and people who love you back.'

'Is Ian.. my father... still alive?'

He smiled. 'Ian?'

'That's what my aunt said his name was.'

'Well in respects, it is.' He took a sip of his tea. 'Your father is very much alive and well.'

So why hadn't he bothered to show up? My eyebrows furrowed together. 'So where is my father?'

'He is a very busy man. It doesn't mean that he doesn't want to meet you, Sky, he does. His job just requires a lot of his time. You'll see him soon enough.'

The thought made me nervous. My biological father was still alive and one day we'd meet. But he was too busy to see me? 'Is he a lawyer or something?'

'Erm... not quite.' He looked nervous for the first time in our meeting. 'Your father... Edward Phillip Ian Henderson...' he paused, 'is the King of England.'

I looked at him, puzzled. 'Are you sure?' This was a wind-up, surely? Hidden cameras must have been somewhere and surely Ashton Kutcher was going to jump out and tell me it had been a prank. A joke. I knew the King was King Edward III, but surely they just had the same name?

He chuckled at that. 'I am very sure, my dear. I was King once.'

King Albert. He'd been on the throne when I was born, I remembered from my History lessons. Then his wife had passed away and he became quite unwell so he'd stepped down and allowed his son to become King. Puzzles pieced together in my mind. 'The school, the security, the chaffeur, the curtsies...'

'It's all very much real, my dear Sky.' He said, his voice sincere.

'So what does that make me?'

His mouth turned upwards into a small smile. 'Princess Sky Chloe Elizabeth Henderson.'

I blinked and swallowed as the news sank in. The room seemed to spin and I felt dizzy. Then I threw up.

'I think that's a first.' Wilfred said as he drove me back to the school that evening.

'What?' I croaked from the backseat, still feeling ill.

'Someone vomitting when they are told they are royalty.'

I groaned. How embarrassing. I rested my head against the headrest and sighed as the car entered the school grounds. 'I'm going to be the worst princess ever.'

Wilfred's eyes twinkled. 'Actually, your highness, I think you'll make a rather good princess.'

'I'm glad someone has faith in me.'

The girls had already gone to dinner when I got back, but I didn't want anything. I sat on my bed, looking at the large file my grandfather had given me. Inside was a family tree and information about my family. He'd taken my number and email and had told me he'd assign me an assistant. He wanted to announce my identity formally, as did my father, in a press conference in a week, before anyone found out another way. I pulled out a debit card and my eyebrows shot up as I looked at the balance written on the letter from the bank. Seven digits. Holy crap.

 _I'm sorry we didn't tell you, Sky xxx_

Sally had text me after I'd been a little too abrupt to them on the phone. I sank back in my bed and tears rolled down my cheeks as I looked at the ceiling.

I was a princess. And everything was about to change.


	2. If there's a soulmate for everyone

'Wait, let me get this straight, you're a _princess?_ ' Tina said in disbelief that Monday evening, when we were lounging in the room she shared with Zoe. We'd all decided to stop doing homework for the evening and watch The Vampire Diaries instead.

'Keep your voice down!' I hissed, signalling to the closed door that I knew wasn't soundproof.

'Sorry.' Tina apologised, glancing at the family tree I'd given her. 'Boy, this is crazy.'

'You're telling me.' I mumbled.

'So you have one half-brother.' Lucy said, glancing up from her laptop. I sat down beside her and realised she was googling my family. I looked at my brother, Phillip, with the deep blue eyes we shared with our father. 'He's twenty. Heir to the throne.'

'Rather him than me.'

'But that means you're second-in-line after him.' Zoe pointed out and I sighed.

'Can you see me leading a country?' I signalled to my black and green school skirt, white blouse and black jumper, which had the school crest on it.

'Sure, why not?' Lucy shrugged and I sighed, leaning my head against a wall. 'Oh wait, you did throw up when you found out.'

'I hope you don't do that at the press conference on Sunday.' Tina laughed and I threw a cushion across the room at her.

'Really? Thanks for the vote of confidence.'

The next few days seemed to merge together and I was thankful when it was Friday; it meant ending the week on a high- I had music. I crept into the music room, finding a seat at the back as a guy I didn't recognise played a cornet at the front of the room. He finished and bowed, everyone applauding him.

'Hey, Sky, right?' Yves had appeared next to me, a friendly smile on his face.

'Hey.' I smiled back, grateful to have a friendly face, other than Lucy, who'd headed up to the front armed with a guitar. She started to play and I nodded along to the music. She was good. Until Nathaniel walked in and she froze. I shot her a sympathetic look as a few of the girls I recognised to be the 'it' crowd booed at her. She blushed and took her seat, a sad look on her face.

'You.' The music teacher pointed at me and I stiffened. 'Miss Bright it says on your file that you're highly graded in piano and that you can play guitar and saxophone too.'

'Damn file.' I cursed under my breath and Yves chuckled from beside me, before turning to glare at his brother who had just strolled in, late.

'Come and show us what you've got. ' Mr Smith, our teacher, said with a friendly smile, signalling to the baby grand piano. I bit my lip, nervously. 'Come on, Sky Bright, not got all day.' A few people sniggered at my name and I sighed, getting to my feet.

I walked over to the piano, my black ankle boots noisy against the floor, and I sat down on the stool, trying to ignore the whispers. I closed my eyes, running my hands over the keys and after a while, my body relaxed. The piano sounded beautiful and I moved my fingers over the keys quicker until I came to a finish. I stopped playing and opened my eyes, to see my classmates looking at me, some in awe, some glaring. Lucy and Yves clapped first and then everyone else joined in, except for Zed who was busy scowling. Again.

'What a wonderful performance, Skye!' Mr Smith said, cheerfully. 'I'd love to have you in our orchestra.' I bit my lip and he shot me a reassuring smile. 'Auditions aren't for a few weeks so just think about it, okay?'

'You were amazing!' Lucy squealed as we walked out into the courtyard at the end of the lesson.

'Nice work.' Yves high-fived me and then disappeared off just as his brother barged past me.

'Do you mind?' I said, irritated as I rubbed my shoulder. He glanced over his shoulder and simply scowled. 'What a dick.'

'I know.' Lucy sighed, shaking her head. We watched as Savannah, a girl from our music class, skipped over to him, running a hand across his chest as she spoke to him, her eyelashes fluttering. 'Boys just aren't worth it.' She winced and I knew she was thinking back to messing up on the guitar in our lesson.

'No they are not.' I agreed.

'Miss Bright?' Clarence was stood there, in a lilac-coloured dress suit this time. My eyebrows furrowed together. What was she doing at my school? And she had her 'friendly' security guard with her. Again. A few passing students paused and looked at us, waiting for the gossip.

'I thought grandfather didn't want to see me until tomorrow.' I said, confused.

She gave me a cheery smile. 'He doesn't, but I'm under strict orders to take you shopping.'

Lucy's eyebrows shot up beside me and I glanced at her before back at Clarence again. 'Can my friend come?'

'I'm not sure that's a good idea...'

'Please?'

She looked uncertain, but she nodded after a moment. 'Okay. But we must get going. I'm under orders to have you returned by dinner.'

Lucy wasn't very talkative. She just looked around the shop we were in, which had been closed just for us, awe on her face. I nudged her and she grinned at me, excitedly. 'This is awesome!'

I looked at the dress suits on the mannequins and frowned. 'Is it?' I said, weakly.

'Come on, let's head to the young lady collection at the bag of the door.' Clarence said, pulling out her phone and checking the time. 'We need to work and fast.'

After about twenty minutes, I'd been shoved into a dressing room with a rack of clothes deemed as 'suitable.' Some outfits were awful and made me look like Lady Penelope from Thunderbirds but others, looked sophisticated and pretty. There was a tweed skirt and cream cashmere jumper that looked lovely with the brown leather riding boots Clarence had picked out. Then there was a white knee-length tailored skirt that looked lovely with the teal silk blouse and the navy chiffon blouse that had been picked out. Clarence picked out a pair of court shoes with a reasonable heel, a pair of black tailored trousers and a black knee-length dress with a cream Chanel cardigan. She paid on card and we were out again within an hour.

'So tomorrow the car will pick you up at midday and will take you to Kensington for lunch with your father and grandfather.' She told me and I nearly choked on the bottle of water I was drinking from. 'Well you knew you were going to meet him, didn't you?'

'Eventually.' I said, my eyes wide. 'But tomorrow?'

'His Royal Highness needs to meet you before the press conference.' Clarence said, tutting as I attempted to wipe up the spilt water from my black school sweater. 'I really do hope you're not going to do that tomorrow.'

I blushed and Lucy surpressed a laugh from across me. 'I think you need to find another princess.'

'That might be a little difficult considering you are his highness' only daughter.'

I spent that evening picking out my clothes for the following day with my friends. We decided I'd wear my new tweed skirt and Cashmere sweater with tights and my riding boots; smart but sophisticated and approved by Clarence. Then we collapsed in front of the television in our pyjamas, watching The Vampire Diaries. Until there was a tap at the window. I jumped and looked at the girls, concerned, but they simply grinned. Tina walked over to the window, opening it, and in climbed Nelson, Nathaniel and a guy I recognised from my music class.

'Hey girls.' Nathaniel said and Lucy's cheeks turned crimson. She was putty in his hands.

'I thought you said guys weren't allowed in the girls' boarding houses?' I said, glancing over at Tina.

'I also said that rules are there to be broken.' She smiled, wickedly, before turning back to the boys who were in our room. Sally and Simon would have had a fit if this had happened at home.

'How on earth did you get up here?' I said, remembering our room was on the first floor.

'Just climbed the tree.' Nelson grinned at me, opening his bag. 'Now I brought movies, popcorn-'

'And Jack's got pizza.' Nathaniel interrupted, as Jack, who I recognised now as the lead singer from the band at Nelson's house, held up two Dominos pizza boxes.

'So what are we watching.' Zoe asked, getting rid of the Salvatore Brothers and returning the DVD to its case.

'Well I've brought choices.' Nelson pulled out the DVDs, spreading them across the floor. 'We have romance, drama, the latest Bond film my dad's been working on and some foreign film.'

Lucy crinkled up her nose. 'We are not watching another foreign film. Not after the weird shit that happened in the last one you made us watch.'

'Fair.' Nelson nodded. 'Sky, as the newest member of our crew, you can make the decision.'

I glanced at the DVDs as I felt everyone's eyes on me. 'Erm... latest Bond film?'

'Good choice.'

The guys left about eleven, sneaking out of the window as carefully as they had come in and then Zoe and Tina snuck back across the corridor. I couldn't help but smile when I saw other girls tiptoeing about in the corridor, some in evening wear, obviously having been down the pub or somewhere else for the night. I climbed into bed in my pyjamas, but I just found myself staring up at the ceiling in the dark.

'Sky, are you still awake?' Lucy whispered from her bed across from me.

'Yep.' I whispered back. 'Can't you sleep either?'

'No.' She said, sounding small and fragile. 'I miss my brother.'

'Your brother?'

'He's eighteen.' She said. 'We spent a lot of time together over the summer. It was nice, you know? He always looks out for me.' She paused for a moment. 'What do you think your brother's like?'

I bit my lip, thoughtfully. 'I don't know. I've never had a brother.'

'I'll bet he's great.' She said, reassuringly. 'He's always doing voluntary work.'

I turned on my side and glanced at the file sat on my bedside table. 'I sure hope so.'

The car was exactly on time the following day and Wilfred was waiting for me when my friends all pulled me into a good-luck hug after leading me outside. He had a different car to usual, this one with blacked-out windows. He bowed his head and smiled with greeting and then he held open the door.

'You'll be great.' Lucy said, saying exactly the same thing that Sally and Simon had said on the phone to me that morning.

'They'll love you.' Tina said in response and I sucked in a deep breath, before walking over to the car. I glanced around at the eyes watching me, cautiously. It was only going to get worse.

'Not feeling unwell today are we miss?' Wilfred asked as we pulled out of the boarding school driveway and onto the main road.

I sighed, my stomach dancing in circles. 'I'm afraid I can't promise anything.'

We were meeting for lunch at the same place I'd met my grandfather the previous week, except this time, there was a sign on the gate saying it was 'Closed to the public.' This made me feel even more nervous, but then I was hardly surprised. They didn't want anyone to find out anything until tomorrow, when it would be announced to the public. I had another sleepless night ahead of me.

'Good afternoon, your highness.' Clarence greeted me, cheerily, wearing a yellow pant suit this time. I was starting to wonder if she had dress suits and pant suits in every shade of pastel in her wardrobe. 'Might I say a good outfit choice.'

I couldn't say the same for her. She looked like a daffodil. 'Thank you.'

'Follow me.' She turned on her heels and we walked into the building, escorted by the familiar security guard whose name I still did not know. We headed down the same corridor as before, except this time we turned off into a dining room with a long, grand table, vintage-looking chairs and chandeliers on the ceiling.

'Sky, my dear, you look wonderful!' My grandfather greeted me with a hug and a kiss on the cheek, catching me by surprise. Clearly wearing £235 boots, a £150 skirt and a £210 sweater were winners with the royal family. Sally would have a fit if she knew how much had been spent on clothes the day before.

'Thank you.' I said, my voice small as my heart hammered against my chest. Then I saw him. Dressed in formal trousers and light blue cashmere jumper which brought out his eyes. I'd seen him before, in newspapers and on the television on Christmas Day, but he somehow looked different in person.

'Hello, Sky.' He said, his voice smooth. He looked calm and collected, but when he shook my hand I noticed it was hot. He wasn't as calm as he looked. He gave me a friendly smile, one I'd seen many times before, and my heart raced, making me feel sick. I sucked in a breath, not wanting to be sick on my biological father. The King. 'How are you?'

'Fine thank you.' I replied, nervously.

'And how has your first week at school been?'

'It's been good.'

'Good.' He smiled. 'It really is a wonderful school. It's where I met my wife, actually.' The wife he'd cheated on with my mum which had let to me. I bit my lip. If this was medieval times, I'd be the bastard child. That much I was sure of. 'Please do sit down.'

I took a seat, feeling uncomfortably with the formality of it all. My grandfather, Albert, sat opposite me, giving me a reassuring smile. I suddenly wished I'd accepted the offer of Sally and Simon coming with me.

'So Sky, please tell me about yourself. I've got a whole sixteen years to catch up on.'

We had a light lunch and Edward, my father, quizzed me, trying to find out almost every detail of my life that he'd missed. He wanted to know about my mother, which I filled him in on, he asked about friends, about Sally and Simon, my interests, what I wanted to do as a career and so on. I started to relax a little as the afternoon went on and he hugged me goodbye as I left, following Clarence out to my car. When I got back to school, it was pretty quiet and I remembered that there was a football game on, so that was probably why. I walked over to the stables, wanting to clear my head.

There was no one inside, so I walked over to a horse with chestnut hair.

'Honey.' I read the name on the label aloud and smiled, stroking her muzzle. 'Aren't you beautiful?' I smiled, giving her some love.

'You can take her for a ride if you'd like.' I jumped startled by the voice as I saw Nelson stepping out of the shadows.

'Sorry, I shouldn't have just walked in.' I apologised, blushing.

'It's okay.' He smiled, putting down a bag of hay.

'Do you work in here?'

'Only on Saturdays. Just a bit of voluntary work.' He said in response. 'Do you ride?'

'I haven't in years.'

'Then no time like the present.' He grabbed a saddle. 'Come on, I'll saddle up Honey for you.' He walked over the horse and set her up carefully, with precision and gentleness. 'So you didn't go into town with the girls today?'

'I had a family lunch.' I replied, truthfully, and he nodded.

'Nice car your family have.'

'Yeah.' I said, fiddling with the jeans I'd thrown on in when I'd got in.

'There you are, she's ready for you.' He led Honey out of the stable and into the paddock, grabbing a step ladder to help me up. 'I've got to lock up in thirty minutes, so don't be too long. There's a nice trail by the lake, just watch the time.'

I climbed onto the horse and gave Nelson a grateful nod, then I pulled at the reins and Honey galloped out of the paddock and onto the bridleway. It was somewhat calming riding along and I missed the sensation of my hair blowing in the breeze. We reached the lake and I relaxed a little as we moved alongside it, watching the lake glittering in the afternoon light. I didn't see the quad bike coming the other way. Honey neighed and swung back in panic, stood only on her hind legs. I squealed as I spotted Zed and he cut his engine, scowling at me.

 _'Hang on!'_

He jumped off his quadbike, pulling at Honey's reigns and trying to soothe her, trying to calm her whilst I gripped on for dear life. Honey relaxed and soon she was back on four legs again, much to my relief. He looked up at me, his eyes troubled and irritated. 'You'd better go.'

Absolute arsehole. I glared back at him and knocked my ankles against Honey, sending her back up towards the stable.

'So how was your day?' Tina asked that evening after dinner. We were sat around in the room I shared with Lucy, in our pyjamas and watching Netflix. We'd even snuck some ice cream out of the kitchen and we were tucking into that quite happily.

I shrugged. 'Okay I guess. My dad seems alright, wanted to know lots about me. And then there was Zed-'

'Zed Benedict?' Zoe's eyebrows shot up in the air as she interrupted me.

'Spill.' Tina turned to me, her spoon pointing towards me like a weapon.

'He's such a jerk.' I groaned. 'Like seriously. I was riding and he spooked my horse and then he calmed her down but the way he looked at me... I must have looked like a monster or something.'

'Ah, his permanent sexy, frown.' Tina sighed.

'Has he always been like that?'

'For as long as I can remember, yes.' She replied, looking thoughtful. 'That boy is going to have some serious wrinkles.'

'Don't take it personally.' Lucy said with a small smile. 'He's like it with everyone.'

Perhaps, but his issues were really starting to bug me.

The car came early the next day. 8 o'clock on a Sunday. Every teenager's nightmare. No one was up when I showered and used the bathroom. I dressed in my new black dress and Chanel cardigan, as requested by Clarence the day before and I slipped on my black ballet pumps after applying subtle make-up. Wilfred was stood outside waiting for me, the blacked-out windowed car on the gravel driveway waiting for me again, but also with a security guard.

'Good morning your highness.' Wilfred greeted and I quickly glanced to check no one was around. Of course they weren't. It was early and breakfast wasn't served until 9.

'Good morning.' I said, not quite as enthusiastically as he. He opened the door to the car and I climbed inside carefully.

'Big day today.' He said cheerfully as he pulled out of the school driveway.

'Tell me about it.'

'Most girls would love to be a princess.'

I sighed, looking out of the window. 'I'm not most girls.'

We drove through Kingston-upon-Thames and then through Richmond, along the main road that was starting to become busy with weekend traffic. We passed over the River Thames and past Chiswick House in silence. My stomach was doing little somersaults again. Did I have to be a princess? Did they have to announce that I was a princess? I was just Sky Bright. That's all people needed to know right? Was I going to have to speak.

'Are you okay, your highness? Your breathing is awful fast.' Wilfred said from the front seat as security guy turned to glance at me from under his sunglasses.

'Sorry.' I apologised as he continued along the busy road. We passed a City Sightseeing Bus, full of tourists snapping away. They had no idea that I was going to be something to photograph in a few hours time.

By the time we reached the Palace, my hands were clammy and sweaty. I wiped them on my dress, thankful that it was black, I took deep breaths in an attempt to keep calm. I wasn't ready for this, but then was I ever going to be ready. My mobile phoned bleeped twice in my bag and I pulled it out.

 _Good luck! We love you! Tina, Zoe and Lucy xx_

 _Thinking of you sweetheart. Call if you need to, S &S xx_

I hadn't realised the car had stopped. We'd not gone in through the main entrance, but the back, and a gate was closing on the far side of the courtyard we had stopped in. Wilfred got out of the car and opened my door for me, a friendly smile on his face.

'Your highness!' Clarence called, rushing towards us. She curtsied at me and then turned to Wilfred. 'You're twenty minutes late.'

'Traffic was bad.' Wilfred replied, closing the car door.

Clarence turned to me. 'Come on, we have no time to spare.' She muttered into her earpiece as we hurried along and I took bigger strides, trying to keep up with her. Two security guards stepped aside, allowing us into the building. I tried not to gawp, but I couldn't help it. There were winding marble staircases, grand chandeliers and large paintings on the wall. It was like a maze as we walked along, past hundreds of rooms. It was enough of a work out in itself. We stopped outside a guarded room and Clarence turned to me, checking my hair and straightening up my cardigan.

A guard knocked on the door and announced. 'Lady Clarence and Her Highness, Princess Sky Chloe Elizabeth Henderson.' I blushed at the use of my full name and followed Clarence inside, shyly.

I had breakfast in the library room with my father and grandfather and then a stylist touched up my hair and make-up ready for the conference. A lady I recognised to be my father's wife walked into the room twenty minutes before showtime, closely followed by the Prince. My _brother._

'Darling, this is Sky.' My father introduced me to his wife first. 'Sky, this is my wife, Queen Roseanna.'

The Queen held out her hand for me and I shook it nervously. 'It's lovely to meet you, dear.' She gave me a small smile and I didn't blame her. I was the result of an affair. That must have made her somewhat uncomfortable. It certainly made me feel nervous.

'Phillip, meet your half-sister, Sky. Sky, this is Prince Phillip.' My father said next.

Phillip gave me a larger smile, his eyes twinkling, and he caught me off-guard by pulling me into a bear hug. 'I've always wanted a little sister to tease.'

I laughed at that. I had to. 'Thanks, I think?' He released me from his hug and shot me the cheeky smile that made him popular amongst Britain's females.

We had tea and sat around, listening to our instructions from the Royal advisor over the next twenty minutes. I was not to say anything, that was the main rule. I had to stand and smile, but keep my mouth shut. My father was to do most of the talking. The Queen, of course, was going to say something, to let everyone know there were no hard feelings but I was sure there were. The way she looked at me made me nervous. Phillip, on the other hand, was determined to find out everything about his 'Little sister.'

'Time to go.' The royal advisor announced too soon and my heart started to race again. We walked down the corridor to the room where the press conference was being held and I stood outside the door, nervously, beside Clarence, whilst The King stood up facing the world press, the Queen and Prince behind him.

'You're shaking.' Clarence pointed out and I avoided rolling my eyes. Of course I was shaking. The world was about to find out that miss invisible was actually a princess. And the thought was horrifying.

'You are all probably wondering why I have decided to gather you all here today.' The King said smoothly into the microphone. He paused before continuing. 'As you are aware, as members of the press, I had an affair seventeen years ago.' He squeezed his wife's hand and gave her an apologetic look. 'As I said back then, it was wrong of me to be unfaithful to my wife and it has never happened again, nor will it ever happen again. However, I will no longer say that it was in fact a mistake, because a few years ago I found out that I had a daughter. My father and investigators have spent years trying to find my daughter and I was beginning to lose hope until last month. She was found and I have recently had the pleasure of meeting her. I have already missed out on sixteen years of her life but I do not intend to miss out on any more years. I want to welcome my daughter to our Royal family, to our monarchy, and I only hope that you will join me in welcoming her too.' He nodded at me and I walked onto the stage, nervously, keeping my eyes down on the floor. 'Her Royal Highness, Princess Sky Chloe Elizabeth Henderson, Princess of Wales.' I looked up at the curious faces and the cameras, which snapped away. Hands shot into the air and my father placed a protective hand on my shoulder.

'His majesty will now answer a few questions.' The royal advisor announced.

'How does Her Majesty, Queen Roseanna feel about this?' The first member of the press asked.

'It is not going to be easy,' The Queen said into the microphone, 'but I want to welcome Princess Sky into our home like she was my own child.'

'What about the Princess' mother?'

'Sadly she passed away thirteen years ago.' The King answered, squeezing my shoulder.

'Prince Phillip, how do you feel about having a new sister?'

'Somewhat excited.' Phillip replied from behind me. 'I've always wanted a little sister to tease and look out for. Finally Santa has delivered.' A few members of the press chuckled and I gave him a smile as he winked at me.

I felt fairly positive about the whole thing as Wilfred drove me home, a police motorbike escorting us in front and a car full of security following us behind. It seemed somewhat silly; surely it was more obvious than if we had actually left the palace without any security. We arrived at the college after forty minutes, and I wasn't surprised to see the press waiting outside the gates. We drove straight in and I frowned when I saw groups of students stood outside, waiting for me, despite the fact that it was eight o'clock in the evening and we had school tomorrow.

Wilfred opened the door for me. 'Your highness.' And I stepped out, nervously. People whispered and looked at me in awe and I wanted the ground to swallow me whole.

'Your highness, we will have a security guard staying on sight at all times to keep you safe. We'll be on a rotation and we'll be here 24-hours a day.' I turned to see the security guard who'd been everywhere the last few days. 'I'm Dimitri. It'll either be myself or Ciara watching you.' He signalled to the red head, also dressed in black. 'It's an honor to serve you.'

'Sky!' Tina, Lucy and Zoe ran out of the crowd, pulling me into a smothering hug. 'You were great.' Tina said to me, a friendly smile on her face. 'Shall we go inside?'

'Please.' I followed my friends in, Dimitri close behind me as we moved through the crowd and into the Boarding House. He paused outside my door, leaning against the wall and I figured that was how it was going to be for now on.

'So your royal highness, how do you feel?' Tina asked me as I sank onto my bed, folding my legs under myself.

'Please don't call me that.' I groaned and my friends giggled.

'Your brother seems nice.' Zoe said with a friendly smile.

'You guys watched it?'

'Of course, otherwise we wouldn't be supportive friends. Enough about that royal malarkey though. How are _you_?' Lucy asked, handing me a few squares of chocolate.

I wolved them down quickly, relieved it wasn't another pretty-looking posh meal. 'Tired.' I said, pulling my pyjamas out from under my pillow. 'And I've only been a princess a few hours.'

My friends gave me a sympathetic look before Tina and Zoe stood up. 'We'll see you in the morning.'

I'd made the front page of every newspaper the next day and every television channel was talking about me too. But that was nothing compared to what was going on in the school. Ciara escorted me to breakfast, hanging behind me as I walked with my friends. She stood nearby as I ate breakfast, students burning holes into me with their glances.

'Hey Sky, want to hang out later?' I glanced up to see Marissa, the school 'it' girl looking at me, a friendly smile on her face. She'd been sniggering at my name just days before. Realisation hit in; I was worth being friends with now that I was princess.

'I have plans, but maybe some other time.' I replied and she nodded before walking off.

'You just turned down plans with _Marissa_.' Tina said in disbelief. 'So what are your plans later?'

'I was hoping maybe we could have a night of normality?'

'Sounds perfect.'

I'd forgotten we had P.E and the thought made me nervous. I changed into my shorts, polo shirt and long socks and tied up my hair as Lucy gave me a reassuring smile from across the changing room. Girls were whispering and watching us, giving me the familiar uneasy feeling. Ciara frowned at them and I wanted to smile. She looked like she wanted to kill them for gossiping about the princess.

'What's on the schedule today?' I asked Lucy, ignoring the stares.

'Football.'

I groaned. 'Really?'

'The only good thing about it is that we get to play with the boys.' Her eyes twinkled and she smiled, cheekily.

'Don't suppose one of those boys is Nate, huh?'

She blushed. 'Maybe.'

'Well then, let's go.'

The air was cold and I was almost thankful for having to run two laps around the football pitch to warm up. Almost. Once we'd warmed up, we were split into two dreams and I was somewhat thankful to be on one with Lucy and Nelson. As captain, Nelson gave me a thumbs up and then gave us our plan of action. We spread out and the game started. By half-time, we had drawn and that continued through most of the second half. Then our goalie was injured.

'Sky, you're in goal.' Our P.E teacher called out and I winced. I was rubbish in goal. We were about to lose. I did what I was told and I got in goal. The timer ticked away and our defenders were working over time. Then we scored and we were one point up. I stood about in goal bored, but then I realised the ball was coming our way. Zed kicked it towards me and I stood ready, desperately hoping luck was on my side.

' _Move left.'_

Was he helping me? He kicked the ball and I moved left, saving it just as the final whistle blew. My team cheered and ran over to me, lifting me up and cheering. I looked over at Zed and noticed he was scowling.

 _Thank you,_ I thought, deciding it was best not to say it. He was in a foul enough mood without me talking to him.

The papers the following day were less pleasant, I found, when I was in the school onsite newsagents. My face was almost on every paper, on every magazine, but this time they were critical. I picked up the Daily Star and scanned the page.

 _Should Princess Sky Chloe Elizabeth Henderson really be a princess considering how she was concieved? The King has no right to call her royalty after his disgraceful actions._

Tears burned in my eyes and I put the paper back, irritated. I stormed out of the shop, Dimitri on my tail. I turned around, cross. 'Dimitri, can you just give me some space please?'

'Yes your highness.'

'Please stop calling me that. I'll meet you back at the boarding house.'

'Princess I-'

'Please.' I pleaded as a tear escaped down my cheek. Dimitri nodded and walked off in the direction of the boarding house. I, on the other hand, walked the other way. I needed sometime to think. I buttoned my coat and walked off towards the lake, feeling fed up. How had this happened?

'Hey, wait up!' I turned in surprise to see Zed following me.

I frowned. 'What do you want?'

'I wanted to see if you were okay.' His eyes had softened and I realised that, for once, he wasn't scowling.

'Why do you care?' The words came out bitterly and I cursed, inwardly. I didn't want to stoop to his level.

'I'm not a bad guy, despite what you might think.' I decided not to comment, instead I kept on walking. 'Sky, wait up.'

I turned to face him, feeling irritated now. 'You're just like everyone else, you only want to talk to me because I'm Royalty, right?'

He looked hurt and then he frowned again. 'It's not like that?'

'Isn't it? The press hate me, think that I have no right to be princess. And here... everyone either wants to be my best friend or is gossiping and spreading rumours about me. I didn't ask for this. I was happy being invisible.' I turned on my heels and stormed off towards the lake.

'Hey.'

I glanced up in surprise at the sound of Prince Phillip's voice. 'What are you doing here?' I was sat on the dock, my legs crossed under me as I watched the water ripple.

'I saw the papers.' He sighed and I glanced behind him to see his security watching from a safe distance. 'I thought you could do with a friendly face and I guess it's my role as big brother to look after you, right?' He gave me a cheeky smile and wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me in for a hug. 'I'm guessing you're not alright.'

'Everything's a mess.' I sighed, picking up a pebble and throwing it into the pond.

'A lot has changed for you over the past few weeks. A new family, taking on a title you probably didn't want, moving and then starting a new school. It's a lot to cope with.' He gave my shoulder a squeeze and then took his arm from around my shoulder. 'But if you want to talk, I'm here.'

'I just don't know if I want to be a princess. If I want everyone to be looking at me.' I bit my lip.

'I know that feeling. Sometimes I throw on a disguise and walk out into London, just being a normal person for a few hours. It feels wonderful.' He sighed. 'Being in the public eye is a lot to cope with, especially when you know you're so important to the country. You constantly have to keep up appearances and that can be so damn hard. Then there's the pressure about getting married and to whom and trying to work out who are your real friends. It's not going to be easy, Sky, but I've been there and I'm here to help if you'll let me.' He turned to face me. 'Why don't you get changed and we'll go and grab dinner somewhere?'

'What if the press see us?'

'Then they'll see they have nothing to worry about when it comes to you, dear sister.' He ruffled my hair and I groaned. He stood to his feet and held out his hand for me. 'What do you say?'

'I'm in.'

'Holy shit.' Lucy said when she answered the door to see Phillip stood beside me. Tina and Zoe appeared behind her, gawping.

'Well I've had worse greetings.' Phillip shrugged.

'Sorry your... your highness.' Tina stumbled and they all curtsied.

'None of that please.' Phillip tutted as a few heads appeared around doors in the corridor. The whispers started and the camera phones came out. 'May I come in?'

'Of course.' Lucy stepped aside and let my brother in, closing the door behind us.

'Girls, this is my brother Phillip, Phillip, this is Lucy, my roommate, and our friends Zoe and Tina.' I said, introducing them quickly before heading over to my wardrobe.

'It's an honor to meet you.' Phillip smiled, shaking each of their hands formally.

'I wish you'd said your brother was coming, Sky. I would have tidied up a little.' Lucy said, nervously as I pulled out my teal-coloured blouse, my smartest pair of jeans (which would be fine as Phillip was wearing them) and my riding boots.

I snuck out of the bedroom, quickly getting changed in the bathroom and redoing my hair before returning. By now, the hallway was filling up with gawping girls and I squeezed past them, passing Dimitri and Phillip's two security guards; Jace and Freddie. Back in my bedroom, Phillip was charming my friends and I was hardly surprised.

'This place looks exactly the same as it did when I left two years ago.' He was saying as I walked through the door. 'Were you girls here then?'

'We were.' Tina and Zoe chorused with a smile whilst Lucy shook her head.

'We must not have met. I would have remembered you if we had.' He said, smoothly and I cleared my throat. 'Are you ready, dear sister?'

I nodded, grabbing my black wool peacoat from the back of the door. 'I'm starving. I'll see you girls later.'

'It was a pleasure to meet you all.' Phillip nodded to my friends and we fought through the crowds to his car. I looked at the black Bentley sports car parked outside and I raised my eyebrows.

'A Bentley, really?'

'I'm sure dad will buy you one if you ask nicely.' He smiled. 'This was a birthday present.'

'You got a Bentley for a birthday present?' I said in disbelief.

'There are perks of being royalty.' He grinned and I realised a few girls had followed us outside. Good grief. 'Shall we?'

He opened the door for me and I climbed inside as Dimitri, Jace and Freddie climbed into their black car behind us. I fastened my seatbelt and we were off, speeding up the driveway towards the exit. 'Smile for the cameras, sis.' He said, winding down the windows as we reached the gates. The few members of the press outside snapped away wildly and then he sped off up the road, closing the windows as we headed towards Richmond. We ended up in a nice little Italian that I knew was way out of my price range, thanks to the valet parking service. The excited man took my brother's keys and we headed inside.

'Your highnesses, welcome.' The man at the podium said, his eyes wide. 'How delightful to see you again Prince Phillip and how wonderful to meet you Princess Sky. Come, I'll give you a seat round the back.'

We followed him to the back of the restaurant, where there was a booth tucked away from prying eyes. We sat down and Phillip ordered us both soft drinks.

'So this place looks expensive.' I said, warily.

'The food is delicious.' Phillip said with a friendly smile. 'Your friends seem nice.'

'They're totally off limits.' I said to him in an almost-glare. 'There's a code for siblings. You don't date your sibling's best friends.'

'I'd better not introduce you to Walter and Marcus then. They'd love you and then _you_ would be breaking the code.' His smile turned wicked and I rolled my eyes.

'Don't worry, I don't want a boyfriend.' I wrinkled my nose. 'No offensive, but guys are totally weird.'

'What about that tall guy I saw you with earlier? Looked like he pissed you off. Do I need to kick his ass?'

'I can kick asses myself, thank you very much.'

'I'm sure you can.' He laughed. 'But seriously, he didn't upset you did he?'

'No.' I shook my head. 'He won't bother me again though, I'm sure.'

I was wrong. I was woken up just after midnight by tapping on my window. I groaned and opened it carefully, surprised to see Zed was there. It made me jump. 'What the hell?' I hissed and Lucy stirred in her sleep.

'We need to talk.' He whispered back and I frowned. Was I really going to have to climb out the window? Apparently so. I climbed out carefully and Zed grabbed me to make sure I ended up on the tree. His touch felt warm but I shrugged him off me as soon as I knew I was safe.

'What's wrong with you? It's the middle of the night.' I hissed as I looked at him.

'I wanted to apologise for upsetting you.' He said, his eyes softening.

'Are you feeling okay? Because usually you don't apologise for things.'

'God damn you're stubborn, would you just listen for a moment?' His brow furrowed again. 'I'm not trying to be friends with you because of your new title. I'm not like _that_ and to be honest, I couldn't care less that you're a princess.'

I flinched. 'You have a way with words.'

He sighed. 'I didn't mean it like that. I mean sure, it's great that you're a princess and maybe slightly stressful. Your dad doesn't still behead people and stick their heads on the gates at the Tower does he?'

'I'm sure I can get him to consider it.'

He didn't flinch. He just continued talking. 'There's something between us. It's hard to explain but you're my... soulfinder.'

'Your what?' I raised an eyebrow.

'Sheesh, I hoped you knew...' He looked thoughtful for a minute. 'You're a savant. Savants aren't like normal humans. They have abilities.'

'You've been watching too much Marvel.'

'Like my ability... I can see the future.'

'You're crazy.'

'It's true. I saw myself talking to you in this tree right now and I know you're going to be on the front page of the paper tomorrow.'

'That's hardly seeing the future. I've been on the front of the paper every day since Sunday.'

He rolled his eyes. 'Savants they have soulfinders... a soulfinder is a savant's partner for life, someone committed to them. They were concieved at the same time and destined to be together. You're my soulfinder, Sky. You have half of the gifts and I have the other.'

'Is this your weird way of trying to get into my pants or something? Because it's not working. How many other girls have you used this soulfinder line on?'

'None.' He looked hurt but I frowned. ' _You_ are my soulfinder Sky, princess or not.'

'And you are completely insane. Please do not talk to me again.' I crawled back over to my window.

'Sky, wait.'

'Just go or I'll call my security.'

I climbed back into the bed, locking the window securely behind me and I pulled the covers over my eyes, trying to get to sleep, but it just couldn't come. What the hell was going on?


	3. I was enchanted to meet you

'What's going on?' I finished classes on Wednesday to find Clarence stood outside in the courtyard, waiting for me once again. Dimitri nodded at her in greeting and she curtsied.

I winced. 'Do you have to do that?'

She blanked my comment. 'Good afternoon your highness. I trust you've had a good day?'

'I _was_ having a good day.' I mumbled as a few girls stopped and glanced at me.

'Hi Sky.' Yves walked over to me, an overly friendly grin on his face. He spotted Clarence. 'Do you... umm... have Friday's notes from music? I can't find mine _anywhere_.'

'Yeah, sure.' I smiled. 'I'll have a look later for you and give them to you at dinner?'

'Lifesaver. Thank you.' He shifted, uncomfortably and then disappeared, walking over to join Zed. His glances at me had not gone unnoticed and Tina was nudging me.

I swatted her in the arm and she went to swat me back but Dimitri reached out. 'Seriously?' I turned to him and frowned. 'She's my friend. Friends swat each other.'

'Sorry your highness.'

'Oh boy.' Tina whistled.

'Your highness, can I talk to you in private?' Clarence asked. 'I've hired one of the music rooms.'

'Please call me Sky.' I grumbled and she blanked the comment again. I turned to Tina. 'See you at dinner?'

She shrugged. 'Sure.' She glanced at Clarence and then whispered, 'have fun with Lady Bore.'

I hadn't know that the music rooms were available for hire and I wished I had. I followed Clarence inside, leaving Dimitri stood on the door acting as a guard. I glanced over at the piano, longing to play it. It was beautiful and the keys were just calling out to me. Clarence sat down and signalled to the seat beside her. I sat down and she pulled out lots of paperwork.

I wrinkled my nose. 'Haven't I had enough paperwork?'

'You've only recieved the press agreements and family information.' She pulled out a newspaper and smiled. On the front page, as Zed had said, was a photo of Phillip and I leaving the restaurant the day before, his arm looped through mine, both of us laughing. The headline was,

 _It's in the jeans_

Play on words as we were both wearing jeans. I glanced up at her, trying to read her expression and then she broke into a smile. 'Now I know you've been having some really horrible comments written about you in the press on social media, but this is what it's all about.' She said, looking pleased. 'Family. People are lapping this up today. Nice work.'

She acted like it was all a publicity stunt and that bothered me. I frowned. 'I just wanted to get to know my brother.'

'Of course.' She smiled and I wasn't sure if she was convinced. 'Now, there's a charity ball being held at the palace next week that Prince Phillip has been organising. He and His Majesty would like you to attend. Your first public event with the family.'

'Well that sounds lovely.' I said, honestly. It did sound good. If not a little nerve-wracking. I opened my water, took a sip and frowned as some dribbled down my chin. Oops. Clumsiness strikes again.

She sighed. 'I think we have some work to do though, first.'

'So how's life little sis?' Phillip asked me on the phone the following day as Lucy painted my toe nails and nails a lovely sparkly silver colour.

'Stressful.' I groaned. 'I nearly threw a book at Lady Clarence today.' Lucy giggled by my feet and I kicked her.

'Is she giving you extra homework?'

'More like trying to improve my posture. She had me walking around with a book on my head like I was in _My Fair Lady._ Tomorrow it's etiquette lessons and then Saturday it's dance lessons. Who knew being a princess wasn't just wearing pretty dresses and being nice to everyone.' I sighed.

'Only in the Disney films, I'm afraid. At least you've got your school dance on Saturday.'

I'd almost forgotten about that. The Royal College of Alexandra was well known for its grand balls and the Harvest Ball was happening that Saturday. Posters were everywhere and banners were hung across the hallway as the 'It' girls and the College Council worked together to make the decorations and plan the playlist. Savannah had been gushing all week about the wonderful dress her mother had bought her in Milan and was pinning all her hopes on Zed asking her to the dance. She was welcome to him.

'I don't think I'm going.' I replied and Lucy frowned at me.

'What, why?'

'Because I'm not going to have any time to get a dress for it.' It was true. Lady Clarence had me working over time and between that and homework, I'd not had time to go shopping with the girls. They were going shopping again on Saturday and, once again, I was going to miss out. 'But it's just a glorified party, right?'

Friday went by all too quickly, including music. It was the class I was definitely enjoying the most. An hour of playing music and learning about great composers. What more could you want? I didn't even mind the homework, although the idea of composing and performing a piece to the rest of the class at the end of the term was scary. Terrifying, even. But that was ages away. Either way, I was in too good a mood to complain when being taught which forks and knives to use and the ladylike way to eat and drunk, without spilling it down myself. And apparently, according to Clarence, one glass of wine at a Royal function was fine for a sixteen year-old. Just no more.

Saturday rolled around and whilst the girls set off into town to have their nails done and to pick up their dresses for the party that night, I dressed in my yoga pants and a tank top and headed to the dance studio. Clarence was already there when I arrived, accompanied by Ciara, and there was a guy there that I didn't recognise.

'Your highness.' He bowed to me and reached for my hand. 'It is an honor to meet you.'

'Um, hello?' It came out more like a question than a greeting.

'Your highness, this is Marcus, my son.' Lady Clarence introduced us and my eyes popped open in surprise. He didn't look like her in the slightest. His mousy-brown hair was scruffy and his eyes a dark shade of green. His crooked smile was cute.

'It's nice to meet you.' I smiled, shyly at the good-looking guy in front of me.

'Marcus is a fabulous dancer and it's a lot easier to dance with a male as he can do the leading.' Clarence said, clapping her hands together. 'Now I've brought some music. Marcus, darling, if you just take the lead then this will be a lot simpler.'

'Of course.' He reached for my hand and I swallowed, nervously. 'Shall we?' He moved to the dancefloor and placed a hand gently on my waist. 'Now it's tradition for noblemen to start dancing with a lady with one hand on their waist and the other behind his back.' He tucked his other hand behind his back as the music started and he gently stepped to the left and then right, leading me with him. He stepped around me so we moved in a circle and I almost stumbled. He caught me. 'Okay, your highness?'

'Please just call me Sky.' I winced.

'Sky it is.' He smiled.

'I think we should try that again.' Clarence said, a frown etched on her face. Clearly, I was very good at disappointing her.

'It's okay, it takes practice.' Marcus gave me a reassuring smile, sensing my tension. He moved his hands back in position and we tried again. 'See, you've got it already.' His eyes twinkled as they met mine, creasing as he smiled. I let out a breath I didn't realise I'd been holding. So far, that hadn't been too bad. He moved his free hand out from behind his back, taking the back of my right hand in his. 'Just listen to the music.' He said, softly, as we continued to move left then right, gracefully. He spun me, gently, and I stumbled. I cursed under my breath and Clarence tutted at me. 'Mother, perhaps you could go and get yourself a cup of tea?' Marcus suggested, stopping us.

'I am rather thirsty.' She replied, thoughtfully.

'There's that lovely tearooms in town that you like. Why don't you head there for afternoon tea and by the time you come back, Sky will be ready for Strictly.' He gave his mother a sparkling smile and she nodded.

'Well you are a wonderful dancer. But please, keep on-task. The ball is only a week away.' She grabbed her handbag and coat and kissed her son on each cheek. 'I'll see you later.'

I bit my lip as the door closed. 'You didn't have to do that.'

'Please, my mother can be frustrating at the best of times.' He chuckled, turning off the music. 'Maybe now you can relax.'

'Sorry, I'm just worn out. There's so much I've had to learn in the last two weeks.'

'Yes, Phil did say you were finding it a challenge.' He sat down and tapped the space on the bench next to him. I pulled my ponytail into a bun and sat down beside him. 'Our world isn't an easy one to live in.'

'Tell me about it. I feel like a total outsider.' I grabbed my bottle of water and took a sip in an attempt to fix my dry throat.

'You just feel like everyone is watching you waiting for you to mess up, huh?'

I turned to face him. Someone who understood. 'Exactly.' He shot me a crooked smile and I couldn't help but smile back. 'Thanks, Marcus.'

'Please just call me Marc and then I'll call you Sky. Deal?' He held out his hand and I shook it, giggling.

'Deal.'

'Now come on, let's make you into the next Darcey Bussell.' He took both of my hands and pulled me to my feet, walking over to the CD player. He pulled out the CD, frowning at it. 'Let's go for something a little more contemporary.'

A familiar intro started up and Marc placed his hand on my waist, gently moving from side-to-side as we rehearsed previously. He walked us around in a circle and then took my hand in his free one, gently turning me around without me stumbling this time. He smiled and nodded.

 _I walked across an empty land_

 _I knew the pathway like the back of my hand._

He moved his hand higher on my back and we waltzed with Marc counting out loud, moving in time to the beat of the music.

 _I felt the earth beneath my feet_

 _Sat by the river and it made me complete._

He started to move us across the floor and I stumbled. 'You're doing great.' He said, returning to counting, guiding me in time to the music.

 _Oh simple thing where have you gone?_

 _I'm getting old and I need something to rely on_

 _So tell me when you're gonna let me in_

 _I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin._

By five o'clock, I'd got it and I was feeling exhausted but pretty pleased with myself too. Clarence applauded us after watching us perform to the classical tune she'd brought in, although I couldn't help singing the lyrics to the song we'd spent the day rehearsing to under my breath. Marc had looked like he was trying to keep a serious face with that performance. He clapped his hands together. 'By jove, I think she's got it!' He said with a playful wink as Clarence's phone rang and she exited the studio to take it.

'Thank you so much for today.' I said to him, meaning it.

'Not a problem, you are a natural.' He smiled.

'When I'm not falling over my two left feet.'

'Princess Sky, you are stronger than you seem, braver than you believe and smarter than you think.' He said to me, his smile meeting his eyes.

'Christopher Robin?'

'You betcha.' He opened up the blinds, allowing the last of the evening's sunbeams to fall into the studio, making patterns across the floor. I sighed as I watched a group of students walk past carrying the balloons for the ball. 'Is there a party tonight or something?'

I nodded. 'Yeah it's the Harvest Ball.'

'And you're still here?'

'I'm not going.' I replied, pulling my O'Neill hoodie over my tank top. I sat down and pulled back on my socks and then slipped my feet into my trainers.

'Why not? It's the perfect place to show off your new moves?'

'Dancing with who?' I laughed. 'I don't have a date. I don't even have a dress. I've not had time to get one.'

'I'm sure any guy would be happy to escort you to the dance.' He said, running a hand through his hair nervously.

'I doubt it.' I sighed, tying my shoelaces. 'I've never hate a date to a party in my life.'

'Then they're all stupid.' I glanced up and realised he was looking at me, an expression I wasn't sure of on his face. A soft pink hue surrounded him and I blinked, wondering if my eyes were playing tricks. It didn't go. 'Will you save me a dance next Saturday, Sky?' His eyes looked hopeful and suddenly the pink hue disappeared. I was probably just tired.

I looked up at my new friend and gave him a small smile as I stood up. 'Of course.'

'I look forward to it.'

I joined the girls for dinner in the dining hall and then we headed back to the Boarding House so that they could get ready for the ball. I curled Lucy's hair for her whilst she painted her finger nails and Tina pinned her hair into a cute updo. Zoe fussed over her hair for a while and was still doing so when there was a knock at the door. I glanced at the clock on my bedside table. Were Ciara and Dimitri swapping shifts _already_? I put down the curlers and walked over to the door, opening it carefully. My eyes widened.

'Hey sis.' Phillip was stood there, a cheeky grin on his face.

I looked at him, suspiciously, eyeing his tuxedo. 'You're not about to break our little deal are you? Please tell me you're not talking one of my friends to the dance.'

'Hey!' Tina called out from behind me and I rolled my eyes.

'Of course not, although I hear you've spent the day with Marcus. Now who's breaking sibling rules?' He teased, glancing over his shoulder at the girls sticking their heads out of their doors. Nosy parkers. My cheeks blushed red at his comment as he shifted uncomfortably, a large, white box in his hand. 'Perhaps I can come in?'

I stepped aside, letting him in and closing the door behind him. 'I'm really hoping that's a really big cake to keep me company this evening.'

'Even better.' He said, passing me the box, which felt a little heavier than I expected. He sat down on the edge of my bed beside me as I carefully untied the blue ribbon. I gasped as I opened the box. Inside was a beautiful blue dress with netted skirt and gold embroidered detail ressembling lace over the shoulders and across the bottom of the tulle. Next to the dress lay a beautiful pair of gold Jimmy Choo heels and a gold headband decorated with intricate golden flowers and pearls. My eyes watered and I looked up at Phillip who was smiling down at me. 'Cinderella, you may go to the Ball.' My friends looked at us, Lucy crying and Tina and Zoe practically melting. I smiled at him, a small smile and he looked at me, panicked. 'Don't you like it?'

'Of course I do.' I whispered. 'This is probably the nicest thing anybody has ever done for me.'

He sighed with relief. 'Well why should you miss your first social event of the year? If anything, you deserve it more after having to put up with Lady Clarence for a week.' I cut him off, pulling him into a huge hug. 'Do I win brother of the year yet?'

'You're definitely a nominee.' I smiled at his joke and he chuckled. I looked at his attire again. 'Are alumnis allow to crash school parties?'

'Oh, I'm going to Walter's birthday party.' He said. '21 today. I wouldn't want to cramp your style.'

'I don't think that's possible.' Zoe sighed and I shot her a warning look.

'Well, I'd better go and leave you ladies to get ready.' Phillip stood up, stretching. 'Have a great night and I expect to see lots of photos.' He dabbed at my wet cheek with his handkerchief. 'Let your hair down sis, you deserve it.' He kissed my cheek, bowed to my friends and then he was gone. As soon as the doors closed, the girls hurried over to glance at my dress, headband and shoes once again.

'And you were saying being a princess is awful?' Tina teased, nudging me. 'Is that why I saw you dancing with Lord cutie-pants earlier?'

'Hey!' I blushed, covering my cheeks. 'Can we change the subject?'

'Sure.' Zoe smiled, wickedly. 'Your brother looks damn fine in a tux.'

'Totally inappropriate.' I said as Tina whipped off her clothes so she was in her underwear. I glanced away, surprised, as she pulled her strapless gold dress off of the hanger. 'Have we crossed that friendship boundry already?'

'She did years ago.' Zoe told me. 'It's just you that hadn't witnessed it yet. It means she likes you.' She winked, teasingly.

'You make me sound like a cat or dog.' Tina scoffed, turning around. 'Can someone please do my zip?'

I walked over to her and carefully secured my zip as the other girls changed too. Lucy wore a knee-length cobalt blue dress with embellishment over the bust and Zoe was wearing a knee-length, bodycon cream lace dress. I grabbed my dress and ducked behind the wardrobe, changing into it carefully. Tina returned the favour by zipping up my dress and then, as the other girls were ready, they moved to help me. Zoe pinned my hair into a half-updo, my blonde curls cascading over my shoulders, and she fixed my headband onto my head. It looked like a tiara.

'Erm, Sky, I think this might be real gold.' She said, her eyes wide. 'And real pearls.'

Tina stopped doing my make-up and glanced at it in awe. 'I think you're right. It's _so_ pretty.'

Lucy walked over to join us and smiled. 'It really is.' She looked at herself in the mirror and sighed.

'What's up?' I asked her.

'She's upset Nate didn't ask her to the dance.' Tina said for our friend and Lucy frowned. 'What? It's true. He's just going with the guys though, Luce, they didn't want dates. Maybe he'll dance with you.'

She flattened down her dress, nervously. 'Yeah I very much doubt it.'

Zoe walked over to the bag she'd lugged her make-up over in and rummaged around, before pulling out a bottle of champagne and four plastic champagne flutes. 'Well I think it's time for this!'

'How did you get hold of champagne?' I raised an eyebrow, not sure drinking before a school disco was a good idea. We were bound to get in trouble.

'Fake ID.' She said casually and I blinked in surprise. 'What? Haven't you ever done anything crazy?'

I thought about it. 'Went naked in the paddling pool when I was four or five maybe?'

'Sky, live a little.' Tina chuckled, nudging me. 'Come on, the ball has started. Let's drink some champers before we go.'

We weren't the only students who had had a little drink before we arrived. Some were even turned away at the door, others danced wildly and clearly not just because they were enjoying the hype. Luckily, between four of us, we'd only had around a glass and a half each, so other than being excitedable, we were fine. Tina and Zoe headed off first, grabbing the drinks and I stood with Lucy whilst she glanced around for Nate, fiddling with the hem of her dress.

'Lucy, relax.' I told her as a few girls passed us, glancing my way. I gave them a small smile and they waved before disappearing into the crowd. 'You look gorgeous.'

She gave me a shy smile. 'Thanks, Sky.'

The Ball was in full swing by nine o'clock, when the live act came on. I'd never heard of him, although Tina had and it was clear she was a fan from her high-pitched screams. As he sang, he made eye contact and it was enough to make girls want to throw themselves at him, enough to make girls think that the love song he sang was all about him. It irritated me. I hated musicians that did that.

'Hey girls.' I turned to see Yves and Nate stood behind us, whilst Tina reached out for the arrogant musician, trying to grab any body part she could. I resisted rolling my eyes at her.

'Hey.' I replied to Yves with a small smile. Lucy just watched Nate, not even blinking. I nudged her as subtly as I could with my foot.

'Not seen you around much this week, Sky. Been busy?' Yves made conversation as Nate smiled at Lucy. He was clearly into her. Why didn't she realise?

'Oh yeah, you know, lot's of stuff to do. Nothing exciting though, mind.' I wrinkled my nose and he laughed. Then I spotted Zed walking into the room. His eyes met mine and he looked at me with uncertainty as he tried to walk over me, stumbling once.

'Oh boy.' Yves sighed. 'What an idiot.' He marched over to meet his brother and said something to him that made Zed frown, but he wasn't stopping there. He continued to walk towards me and Lucy looked at me, puzzled, before turning to Nate.

'Nate, shall we go and get a drink?'

'Sure.' He smiled and they walked off, leaving me to face Zed alone as Tina fan-girled and Zoe danced with some guy from her science class. I wanted the ground to swallow me whole. He looked gorgeous in a tuxedo and I realised he kind-of reminded me of Jacob Black from Twilight. Just hotter.

'Hey, Sky.' He said as he approached me and I raised my eyebrows at the scent of whiskey and cigarettes on his breath. He looked gorgeous but he did not smell great. And he was most likely drunk.

I wrinkled my nose. 'You've been drinking _and_ smoking.'

'You look like a real princess.. really pretty.' He said, ignoring my comment.

'Thanks.' I said, awkwardly, folding my arms across my chest. He leaned his head towards mine and I stepped back. 'What the hell are you doing?'

'Sorry I-'

I frowned, irritated. How dare he kiss me. He had no right. I hardly knew him and after his bad-ass attitude and then making up some crap about soulfinders and now he was drunk. My frown became more of a glare. 'Back off.'

He looked hurt for a second, before scowling. 'Whatever.' He turned and walked off, across the room out out of the door.

'Erm, what was that about?' Tina's attention was back on me again and I realised that singer-dude had disappeared somewhere. She looked at me, suspiciously.

'I don't even know.' I frowned again. 'Come on, let's dance.'

The night moved on quickly in an uplifting direction and the catchy songs I recognised from the UK Top 40 were soon blaring out of speakers whilst a DJ scratched disks on his desk. I danced with Tina and it wasn't long until Zoe and Lucy had joined us and we were strutting our stuff like the next girl band. By the end of the night, our dancing group had tripled in size and girls I didn't recognise were dancing with us, chatting to us all happily, including Savannah. That was until the final slow song came on.

'Lucy?' Nate walked over to us, nervously, as Ed Sheeran's _Thinking out Loud_ poured out of the speakers. 'Would you like to dance?'

Her cheeks blushed and Tina and I turned away as Zoe was whisked onto the floor, wanting to give our friend some privacy. 'Sure.' Lucy smiled.

I glanced around the room at the dancing couples and sighed as a few guys glanced our way. 'I wonder if they're going to ask you.'

'They're looking at _you_ , not me.' Tina said although I didn't believe her.

No one approached us or asked us to dance, but then maybe that was a good thing. I'd spent a lot time dancing that day, that was for sure.

The next day was more relaxed, other than Lady Clarence turning up with a dress-fitter to measure every part of me from my bust to shoulders to bum etc. My dress for the ball was in the process of being made and it was important that it fitted perfectly, apparently. Thankfully, I spent the rest of the day catching up on the homework I'd been putting aside for the week and I camped out in the library until dinner, when it was finally done. The week flew by and in between etiquette lessons, including how to greet guests formally, how to eat canapes without making a mess (almost impossible for me) and questions I was allowed to answer and not answer from the press, it was a busy week.

Then it was Friday.

'Okay, so I'd like each of you to compose a piece of music with the title ' _Who am I.'_ ' Our music teacher, Mr Smith, announced in final period. 'The next two weeks you will be given an alotted time within our music lesson to have individual or group access to the music rooms. Then we will meet back in three weeks time and perform our pieces to each other in the theatre.' I sucked in a breath. It was a big assignment. 'Are there any questions?' No hands shot up and Lucy and I supressed a smile. No one ever wanted to ask any questions in last period on a Friday. Some people headed home for the weekend and others would be heading out for dinner or even down the pub. 'Okay, I'll see you in three weeks. Check your emails.'

We stood up and Zed stormed past us, continuing the irritated mood he'd had ever since the Ball. I walked him in disbelief as Yves passed us in the hall.

'He shouldn't have tried to kiss you.' Yves said, casually, and Lucy's eyebrows shot up. Guess I'd missed that bit out. 'Not very gentlemanly, my brother. An idiot most, if not all, of the time.' He tutted and shook his head, before heading on out. Ciara stood behind us in silence and I almost felt as if she was judging me a little. I turned to Lucy to see that she was, too.

'I should have told you.' I said in response as I tightened the grip on the book I was holding.

'Too right.' She nodded as we headed into the cool October air. 'What is going on between you?'

'Nothing. I think that's the problem.' I said, irritated. We walked out onto the cobblestone path towards the boarding house.

'Well never mind that, you see Lord handsome tomorrow, don't you?'

'What, Mark?'

'Mmmhmmm.' She gave me a sly grin, a twinkle in her eyes.

'And when are you next seeing Nate?' I fired the teasing back and she blushed.

'Exactly.'

After dinner, Tina and Zoe took their usual place, each perched on a bed in their pyjamas with The Vampire Diaries on in the background whilst I packed. I was going to be at the palace from the following morning up until Sunday evening and the thought was making me nervous. I hadn't even realised I was pacing in front of my wardrobe until Tina had grabbed my shoulders and physically stopped me.

'Chill out.' She told me as my phone buzzed twice. She dived to grab it but I jumped in before her, snatching it out of her hand.

 _How's packing going? Looking forward to some quality brother-sister bonding. P x_

I smiled, quickly sending my brother a text back and then I opened the second message.

 _Sky, I hope you don't mind me texting you, I stole your number from mother's phone- oops. I look forward to our dance together tomorrow, beautiful Cinderella. Mark x_

I felt my cheeks blushing as I thought about what I was going to say in response. I glanced up to see my friends watching me and I blushed even more.

'And how is Lady Bore's son?' Lucy asked, giving me a knowing smile.

'Fine.' I replied, biting my lip.

 _I don't think she'll be pleased with that. You might interfere with our busy training schedule! Well let's hope I'm not wearing heels or I'm afraid we'll be spending the night down at the hospital. Sky x_

Probably not my smoothest reply, I decided two seconds after sending it and I cringed. Should I have thanked him for the compliment? Even though he clearly needed glasses if he thought I was pretty.

 _It will be a pleasure to spend an evening in hospital, as long as you're there to keep me company. Although, I don't think you'll mess up. Not if you dance with me all evening anyway... x_

He was flirty, I gave him that. I pulled out my weekend suitcase and threw in my underwear, including a strapless bra just in case, my most sensible pyjamas, a plaid shirt, my cream cashmere jumper, my grey wool pinafore, a white silk blouse and my grey wool skirt, giving myself plenty of options. I placed in my black satchel too, a second bag to take, just incase. Then, after a few more hours of Damon Salvatore gawping, I headed to bed.

I was up early the next day, and not out of choice. I showered, washed and dried my long, blonde, curls, tying them into a loose bun and then throwing on my nicest jeans, a white polka dot shirt and a navy cashmere v-neck jumper, my black riding boots on my feet. I did my natural make-up, as normal, and headed to breakfast with the girls, although fruit and yoghurt was all I could stomach. I was nervous. My heart was fluttering like a hummingbird's wings and I wondered if I was going to be sick or pass out. I hoped neither. When we got back to the boarding house, Wilfred was there with the car and Ciara, her weekend bag in her hand ready to move for the weekend. Dimitri escorted me to the room so I could pick up my belongings and then he followed me out with his own weekend bag.

'Ready to go, your highness?' Wilfred asked me, too cheery for a Saturday morning.

My friends gave my shoulders a squeeze and I turned to face them, feeling dizzy. 'I'll see you tomorrow evening?'

'Absolutely.' Lucy smiled. 'But send us a picture of you all dolled up, won't you?'

'And text us the gossip when you get home.' Tina added. Zoe pulled me into a hug first and the other's followed suite as Wilfred stood, patiently. I was delaying the schedule and I hoped he wouldn't have Clarence to answer to again when we arrived.

'Have a nice weekend, Sky!' I glanced up to see Savannah waving at me and hurrying towards me. She pulled me into a false hug and air kissed me, making me eyeball her in surprise. Tina glared at my new 'friend', burning holes in the back of her head.

'Erm, thank you.' I said, uncertainly.

'Your highness, are you ready to go?' Wilfred pushed and I was glad he did. He'd saved me from an awkward conversation.

'Yes.' I replied, my voice small. I fiddled with the satchel I had over my shoulder and I gave my friends a small smile before heading into the car.

I could have sworn I held my breath most of the way to the palace.


	4. Dancing, like we're made of starlight

'Good morning your highness.' A woman I did not recognise greeted me as I arrived at the palace and got out of the car. 'My name is Nina. I'm your personal assistant.' She gave me a smile as she shook my hand. 'It's wonderful to meet you.'

Personal assistant? I tried not to look surprised. 'You too.'

'Shall I show you to your room?'

As I'd noticed before, the corridors were long and seemed to all lead in different directions, to different rooms. We passed a series of guest bedrooms before ending up in the Prince and Princess quarters, a slightly older part of the palace away from the communal areas and far from the areas tourists were allowed to visit. We reached a wooden door guarded by two guards in uniform and Nina opened the door, leading me into the most wonderful expensive-looking room I'd ever seen in my life.

There was a double bed in the middle of the room with a golden bedframe with an extravaggant plush, light pink headboard, framed with golden swirls. The bed had a plump white duvet and cream-coloured rose cushions decorating it with a netted curtain attached to the wall and draping over the sides of the headboard like a canopy. There was a large vintage-looking white dresser with a mirror and painted golden detail around the mirror and on the drawers and there was a huge wardrobe matching, the same detail on it. On the far side of the room was a white vintage-looking bookshelf and a plush pink dressing screen. It was filled with wonderful details, even a chandelier on the ceiling and cute chic white bedside tables on each side of the bed. I felt like I'd stepped into a catalogue.

'Your highness, these are your chambermaids Hannah and Clara.' She waved her hands to the two women in maids outfits, stood smiling at me.

They both curtsied before the blonde, Clara, said, 'an honor to serve you.'

Hannah added, 'we have shifts but we're happy to serve you any time of the day or night, your highness. Just call us if you need anything. A glass of water, a dress picking up, _anything_.'

A glass of water? Couldn't I do that myself. 'Erm, sure.' They stood looking at me expectandly as a guard walked in carrying my case.

'We'll unpack!' Hannah said, grabbing my case and carrying it over to the wardrobe before I could stop her.

'Has my dress arrived yet?' I asked out of curiousity. I hadn't seen it yet. I didn't even know what colour it was supposed to be.

'It will be here after lunch.' Nina said with a reassuring smile. 'Now your father asked if you could meet him in the paddock when you arrived.'

'Oh, okay.' I put down my back on a cream antique chair.

'But you'll get to get dressed first.'

I looked at her puzzled and Clara walked over carrying a cream pair of jodhpurs, black riding boots, a cream shirt with large black pussybow and a tweed fitted jacket. She passed it over to me and I thanked her before disappearing into my ensuite bathroom to get changed. It looked like I was going riding. With the King.

A guard escorted me to the paddocks, which were at far end of the large palace gardens, past the fountains, past the maze, past the flowers. The stables weren't as big as I thought so it was easy to spot The King stood outside of them, rubbing the muzzle of a black horse which had a white spot on its forehead.

'Your majesty, I present Princess Sky Chloe Elizabeth Henderson.' The guard announced and my father turned to face me, a smile on his face, his eyes crinkling in the corners.

'Thank you Alfred, you may be excused.' My father replied and the guard left us to it, although I did notice two other guards standing by the stable. 'I thought maybe we could go riding.' My father said, turning to face me, a friendly smile on his face. In his chinos, shirt and fleece, he looked like a normal dad.

'Sounds good.' I said, nervously. I still didn't know him that well and I was still waiting for him to decide he didn't want me anymore. That's what had happened with pretty much everyone else.

He led me into the stable where two horses were already saddled up; a white horse and a chestnut-coloured horse. He stroked the muzzle of the white horse. 'This is Angel. She's four years old and a pretty new purchase. She's lovely. I thought perhaps she could be yours.' His eyes crinked at the side as he smiled, watching me.

'My own horse?' I looked at him in surprise.

'Yes. I hope you'll be spending some more time here.' He said, looking hopeful indeed. 'You and your adoptive parents are welcome here anytime at all. Your bedroom is yours.' He paused for a moment. 'I hope you like it by the way, if not I can get someone in to redecorate...'

'It's lovely.' I smiled, shyly. 'And Angel is perfect.'

'How is school? Are you keeping up with all of the assignments?' The King asked me as our horses trotted along the paths of the beautiful grounds of the palace, side-by-side.

'It's fine and yeah, it's no more than what I was used to at my old school.' I replied.

'You looked lovely at your Harvest Ball last week. Phillip showed me some of the photos.'

I gave him a small, bashful smile. 'Thank you.'

'And are you looking forward to this evening?'

'Yes.' I croaked out and he frowned.

'Don't lie to your father, Sky.' He said, his voice stern.

'I just don't know what to expect.' I admitted, biting my lip. 'What if I mess up? What if people don't like me? Phil has had years of practice and I've only been royalty for a few weeks.'

'No, you've been Royal all your life.' He said, turning the horse around so that we were heading back towards the stable. 'You just didn't know it, and in a way, that makes you even more likeable and more likely to succeed. You've not had everything handed to you on a golden plate.' He chuckled at his own comment. 'Instead, you've had to work for it and that, my dear, has made you the wonderful girl you are today.'

We joined The Queen, my grandfather and Phillip for a cooked lunch, as we were only going to be eating canapes at the Ball that evening. The conversation flowed nicely, although the Queen was still quite as normal. I wouldn't blame her if she always felt awkward around me and in a way I was relieved when Nina came to return me to my room. Inside, Hannah was stood with a pot of tea on a silver tray in her hand. She greeted me with a curtsy and a smile.

'Please, you don't have to keep doing that.' I told her.

'But it's part of the job, your highness.'

'Sky.' I corrected her. 'None of this formality, please. You don't have to be formal unless you're in public, right?' At least I'd learnt one usual bit of information from my etiquette lessons with Lady Clarence.

'Your highness,' Nina interrupted me and I flinched at the title once again. Had she not just tried to rid herself of that title? 'There are two beauticians here ready to prepare you for this evening.'

'Beauticians?' The thought was horrifying enough. It was bad enough doing my own legs and eyebrows. I didn't want anyone else to do them.

'Only the best.' She shot me a reassuring smile, although it didn't do much for my clammy hands and racing heart. She opened the door and, sure enough, two middle-aged ladies were stood in the doorway, dressed in their white beautician outfits, each with a carry on suitcase.

'Your highness.' The one with the brunette bob said as they both curtsied and I groaned, inwardly. Couldn't I just be Sky again? Or even Miss Bright? Nina ducked out of the door, closing it behind her and Hannah made herself scarce too, telling me that she would be one bell away if I needed anything. Helda (yes, really) and Margery waited for me to change into the white, fluffy robe on the back of my bathroom door and then they got to work. My legs were waxed (ouch), my feet given a pedicure, my fingers given a manicure, my eyebrows threaded (ouch again) and then I was given a facial. Some of it had been relaxing, but some of it had just been downright painful. Hannah returned early evening with some finger sandwiches, which I was more than happy to munch on whilst Helda took my hair out of the rollers I'd worn all afternoon. She styled my hair carefully, applying unfamiliar product throughout the process; unfamiliar but clearly expensive and it smelled just like strawberries. Yum. Margery applied my Maxfactor make-up, from a thin layer of foundation to shimmery eye make-up that was subtle and pretty, bringing out the blue of my eyes. She applied a little lipstick, just two shades darker than my lips, and reassured me that it was a lipstain and wouldn't come of until scrubbed. Then my dress arrived.

'Your highness, it has been an honor to make your dress.' The designer said, arriving with a dress bag, a sewing basket and a shoe box. She placed the sewing basket and shoe box on the floor, hooking the hanger of the dress bag to the dress-screen. 'I really hope you like it.' She unzipped it carefully and I gasped; the dress was a light blue with a teal ribbon around the waist. It had slightly-capped sleeves with hundreds of little flowers sewn on, giving a 3D effect. The flowers travelled across the perfectly embroidered chiffon-style bodice and stopped at the waist, where embroidery continued a little longer before flowing out into a tulle skirt, which had a little volume without being over-the-top. At the bottom of the dress, it was embroidered again, with just a few of the flowers sewn on travelling upwards. It reminded me of Cinderella's dress from the most recent film, only less pouffy. It was perfect.

'It's wonderful.' I told her, really meaning it.

'Can I see it on? I need to check if there's any final adjustments to be made.' I changed behind the dress-screen, carefully zipping the dress up at its hidden side zip. It fitted perfectly. It hugged the small curves I had and was flattering. I felt like a real princess and then I realised I was. I emerged from behind the dress-screen and the designer admired it, a smile on her face. 'Well it fits perfectly. Wonderful!'

'You look so pretty, your highness.' Helda gushed and I blushed. She walked over to adjust my hair just as there was a knock at the door.

'Come in.' I called out.

Lady Clarence entered with a curtsy, wearing a sparkling silver strappy gown with a deep navy wrap, a red velvet box in her hand. She smiled at me, admiring my outfit. 'Well don't you look a picture?' I gave her a small smile as the designer passed me the silver heels to slip on; they had a subtle heel without being too tall to dance in. I fastened them on my feet carefully and glanced at myself in the mirror, feeling a million dollars. 'That dress is perfect for you.' Clarence said, taking in my look. 'And the hair is wonderful, although it is missing something.' She opened the box, revealing a silver tiara with diamonds and pearls entertwined together. The tiara itself was only about two inches high, but it was detailed and perfect.

'You want me to wear a tiara?' I said, blinking.

'No, _your father_ wants you to wear the tiara.' She told me and I noticed there were small, dangling diamond earrings beside it. 'This tiara has been in your family worn by princesses for around one hundred years.' She told me. She placed it on the bedside table and put in the earrings for me, gently. Then she took out the tiara carefully and placed it onto my head. It wasn't heavy. It was perfectly light and I admired it as Helda adjusted my hair for it so that the tiara rested, tucked into the pinned back sections of each side of my face. My hair fell in perfect curls over my left shoulder and the tiara sparkled as I moved. I'd never felt so good. I'd never looked so good. I pictured myself dancing in the Ball, my dress flowing outwards as I did so. I pictured prince charming bowing and asking me to dance. It was like I was in a fairytale.

'A perfect princess.' Clarence commented, bringing me back to reality. 'Now you really are ready to go to the Ball.' I took a deep breath as I remembered how important the night was going to be. It was a charity event, for one thing, but there was going to be royalty, celebrities, wealthy people, people from the Houses of Parliament. And I was expected to arrive via a grand staircase when introduced. And I was expected to dance. My heart felt like it was in my mouth and I swallowed. I wasn't going to be dizzy or throw up. Not in this beautiful dress.

There was a knock at the door and Nina entered, curtsying. 'Your highness, your father requests you in the main library for photographs before the Ball.' I sighed and, after one last glance in the mirror, I followed her out of the room.

The 'main' library was just that; a grand library with polished wooden floors and bookshelves covering every wall, except for the part of the wall decorated with an elaborate fireplace. There were two leather armchairs laid out on one side of the room, where the King and Queen were sat being photographed, my brother watching them from behind the cameraman.

'Well don't you look gorgeous.' Phillip said, walking over to greet me with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. I blushed at the compliment from the brother I didn't know I had until a few weeks previously. He added quietly, with a teasing smile. 'Mark will be knocked off of his feet.'

I blushed even more rapidly and narrowed my eyes at him. 'Shut up.'

'Very ladylike.' He teased.

'Sky, you look the perfect princess!' The King cooed, beckoning me over. I walked over beside Phillip and admired the Royal family; my father wore his flight lieutenant's uniform, minus that hat, and my brother wore a black tuxedo that James Bond would have been jealous of. The Queen looked beautiful in her metallic grey ballgown with sleeves to the elbow and a train, her usual tiara on her head and bling around her neck.

'Your royal highness.' The photographer bowed his head to me. 'I'd like to get some family photos if you don't mind.' He organised us so that the Queen and I were sat on the armchairs, Phillip and my father behind us. He took a few photos and then swapped us so that the King and Queen were sat down, myself and Phillip stood behind. 'A wonderful family.' He said after a few more shots. 'Now may I please get some portraits of your highness, Princess Sky, by oneself?' My new family moved aside and the photographer set up a stool instead for me to sit on. I sat on it, sideways as asked, and he adjusted me until he was happy with the position I was in. He snapped away a few photos of me smiling and then a few photos of me smiling with my mouth closed before he was happy. Then it was officially showtime.

I felt nervous as I stood outside of the ballroom, alongside the Queen, waiting patiently to be announced. The guests were already inside, having been introduced if they had a title or were 'important enough' to do so. Phillip and I would be announced first and we would walk from our opposite sides along the stairwell, meeting in the middle before descending into the ballroom below. Then the King and Queen would follow suite. I swallowed, my throat dry from nerves, silence hanging in the air.

'Whatever you may hear, whatever you may read, I do not hate you.' I looked up at the Queen in surprise as she finished her sentence. 'You are a poor, dear child caught in the middle of this.'

'I'm sorry.' I whispered, unsure of what else to say.

'For what? I was not keeping my husband happy and he'd been in love with another woman when we'd married... your mother. Only, they could not be together. She was not from wealthy blood.' Her sad eyes met mine and my heart sank; did that mean I could not marry someone if they were not of wealthy blood? 'He loved your mother very much.' I didn't say anything to that, so she reached out for my hand, squeezing it. 'I know I'm not your mother and I know you have your adoptive parents but I would like to be a part of your life, Sky. I'd like to get to know you... if you'd let me.'

I gave her a small smile. 'I'd like that very much.'

'His Royal Highness Prince Phillip James Henderson and Her Royal Highness Princess Sky Chloe Elizabeth Henderson.' Someone announced inside the ballroom as the door in front of me opened. I spotted Phillip across from me as we both walked down the stairs. We met in the middle and I curtsied, as rehearsed whilst he bowed. Then he gave me his arm and I held it gently as we walked down the stairs as cameras flashed and guests stared up at us. My heart beat wildly in my chest and I felt relieved when we reached the bottom of the stairs, turning to greet the King and Queen. They came quickly behind us, catching me by surprise. I'd been too busy concentrating on not falling that I'd not even heard them being announced. I curtsied again, whilst Phillip bowed, as they reached us and then we stood as a family, the cameras flashing once again as the music started off. Phillip turned to his mother, holding out his hand for her and I cursed inwardly. I'd forgotten I was going to have to dance with my father. Maybe we should have rehearsed instead of horse-riding earlier.

My father bowed and held his hand out for me in offering and I took it, letting him lead me to the dancefloor. It was different to the rehearsed dance with Marcus. Instead, he moved straight to touching my waist lightly, taking my hand in his and waltzing quickly in time to the music. My cheeks reddened as I felt eyes on us, watching exactly what we were doing, like we were a show. And then I realised we were. The Royal family. The Royal show. The song was short and the classical music ended quickly, changing into something more traditional that I recognised from my piano lessons many years ago. My father disappeared into the crowd and Phillip joined me, taking over from where the King had left off.

'Now don't take this the wrong way, dear sister, but you look like you've seen a ghost.' Phillip said as he danced with me, other people now joining us on the dancefloor.

'I'm just nervous, that's all.' I told him, biting my lip.

'I'm afraid these balls aren't terribly exciting.'

'Didn't you organise it?'

'I did, yes, and the tickets were almost a thousand pound a piece. It has raised a lot of money for Cancer Support UK.' He said with a smile that met his eyes just like our father's. 'That doesn't mean I have to like them though.'

'Eminem more your style?' I teased and he chuckled.

'Perhaps not Eminem but I do prefer more modern music. Unfortunately, though, that is something the guests would not enjoy. Look around you. Dukes, Duchesses, Lords, Ladies and a lot of posh snobs with far too much money.'

My eyebrows shot in the air. 'How much did your tuxedo cost?'

'I never said that _I_ wasn't a posh snob.' He grinned, playfully and I rolled my eyes. His eyes glanced over my shoulder and his grin became more teasing. 'I think someone is admiring your outfit choice.' He turned so that I was facing the way he had just been glancing and Marcus stood with a wine glass, facing me. He raised the glance to me, a smile on his face and I blushed. 'Not going to break the sibling code, are you dear sister?'

'Of course not.' I said, returning my eyes to his.

The song ended and he bowed to me. 'Fancy a drink?' A waitor passed us and he grabbed two glasses of wine. He passed me one and I looked at him in surprise. 'Oh come now, I think we're both going to need a little wine to get through this party.' Marcus walked over to us, looking smart and handsome in a tuxedo. There was a blonde man with him. 'Walter, Marcus, alright?' Phillip's tone completely changed and he seemed more relaxed suddenly as he greeted his friends with a shake of the hand.

'Yeah, thanks mate.' Walter said with a nod. He turned to face me and bowed, taking my hand in his. 'Your highness, I do not believe we have met. I'm Walter.'

'Hello.' I said shyly, feeling slightly creeped out when he kissed my hand. I took it back from him as Marcus bowed his head to me.

'Sky.' He said quietly, a small smile on his face. I reached up to my hair to touch it, touching my tiara instead and taking me by surprise. Marcus' eyes followed my hand back down to my waist. I sipped at my wine, nervously, enjoying the taste of the liquid flowing down my throat. Feeling eyes on me, I turned to my brother, who was watching me with an expression I didn't recognise. Protectiveness, perhaps?

'Come on, dear sister,' Phillip said, gently taking my arm. 'There are some people I would like you to meet.'

For the next hour and a half, I was dragged around by my brother, being introduced to other Royals, the Prime Minister, MPs, Lords, Ladies, Dukes and Duchesses, as well as the charity Ambassadors who had attended. It was an overwhelming experience. People would bow or curtsy at me, some even kissing my hand (ick) and then they would throw questions at me; Where did I grow up? Where was I studying? What was I studying? How did I feel about finding out I was a princess? What were my plans for the future? My head was swimming with the same questions and the same answers I had given over and over, whilst putting on my best smile and trying to charm people into liking me. It was tiring. I'd never been a social butterfly. I'd been quite shy for my whole life and I'd been used to fitting into the background, but now I was the centre of attention. A photographer had pretty much followed me around all night and I'd had to pretend I was a people person, pretend I wasn't overwhelmed at all by being the Princess, daughter of the King of England and sister to the future heir to the throne.

I was relieved when the art auction started up as it gave me a chance to breathe, a chance to relax. I grabbed a finger sandwich from a passing waitor and walked to the back of the room as everyone had moved forwards to watch the auction. My brother walked out onto the stage, charming the audience and introducing the items for sale, whilst my father and the Queen stood to the side, looking proud.

'Are you alright?' Marcus appeared beside me, catching me by surprise.

'Yes.' I said, after finishing my mouthful. I locked my fingers together in front of me, nervously.

'You're lying.' His emerald eyes met mine and I glanced away, shyly.

'I'm exhausted.' I told him, honestly. 'But please don't tell my family I said that. This is the first event of many.'

He tapped his nose, showing me that it was our little secret. 'You've done very well. You've come across as the perfect princess.'

'I guess I'm a better actress than I thought.'

'Or you're just perfect for the job.' He gave me a small smile and his eyes twinkled.

'Phillip is a lot better at me than this.' I said, glancing over at my brother, who had just made the audience laugh.

'Phil has been doing this his whole life.' He pointed out. 'So your first official Ball... how does it compare to one of RA's college Balls?'

'Don't get me wrong, I love classical music, but not to dance to and not to listen to _all_ evening.' I wrinkled my nose. 'And my friends are missing too. They're great dancers.'

'As good as me?' He grinned.

'A different kind of dancing.' I told him. 'They're good for cheesey dance routines like a bit of Steps or S Club 7.'

'Maybe I'm good at those too.'

'I guess one day I might find out.' I regretted it as soon as I said it. Of course he didn't want to hang out with _me_. He'd simply been doing his mum a favour. Doing the crown a favour.

He was silent for a moment before he spoke again. 'Did you find your prince charming at the Harvest Ball?'

'Of course not.' I scoffed.

'So you didn't show off your new moves?' He looked surprised.

'Nope. Tina and I just took embarassing photos of Lucy and Zoe dancing with the guys they liked so that we could tease them later and plaster them all over Facebook.' His eyebrows shot up. 'Don't tell me that Phil has never taking any embarassing photos of you?'

'Oh no, there's plenty and I have equally embarassing shots of him too. Mainly from drunken nights out and yacht parties and so on. Of course, they're not available online as I think your father would probably sue me.' He chuckled to himself. 'I am very surprised, though that you did not dance with anyone at the Ball. Their loss I suppose.'

I shrugged. 'Whatever. I had fun with my friends and that's what counts. Next week I'm doing it all over again.' He looked at me in surprise. 'My roommate Lucy's birthday is next Saturday and she wanted a masquerade Ball for her party. It sounds like something from _My Super Sweet Sixteen_ , but it should be fun I suppose.'

'Three Balls in three weeks. A wild life you lead!' He laughed.

'I don't quite imagine it will be like this though.' I glanced up as the last painting for the evening was displayed. Lucy's party was Vampire-Diaries inspired, of course. There were going to be cloths draped across the ceiling and fairylights and her parents had even promised her a live act. Unfortunately, I very much doubted that Ian Somerhalder or Paul Wesley would be attending, but I was sure it was going to be a good party and we were staying over afterwards so it would be nice to have a weekend with the girls. A break from being a princess for two days.

'I'm sure you'll have a great time.' Marcus' smile became nervous again as the painting was sold and the music started up again. Couples returned to the dancefloor, dancing to the slow music. 'You owe me a dance.' Marcus said to me, his voice soft. 'May I?' He held his hand out for me and I decided why the hell not? I took his hand and he led me over to the dancefloor. He placed a hand on my waist as we'd rehearsed and gently stepped side to side to the music, leading me, his free hand behind his back. He walked us round in a circle and my cheeks reddened when I realised people were watching us. I just hoped I didn't lose my footing.

'People are looking at us.' I whispered and his eyes met mine.

'No, believe me, they're all looking at _you._ ' He smiled, his eyes twinkling as he walked us round in a circle again. He placed his hand delicately under mine and our hands moved up and down together, before he turned me around, pulling me back in with a hand on my waist and his right fingers interlocking with mine. I placed my hand on his shoulder and he led me in a waltz as the music started to speed up. Our feet moved in time to the rhythm and I was surprised when the song was over and I'd survived without a single mess up. I smiled at Marcus and he smiled back as he bowed to me and I curtsied, ending the dance, whilst a few onlookers watched us. I'd had my Cinderella moment and it had felt pretty damn wonderful.

'So how was it?' Tina said down the phone to me at 1am, when I was snuggled under my goose-feather duvet in my favourite pyjamas.

'I can't believe you're still up.' I told her with a yawn.

'We waited up for you.' Lucy said, confirming that I was on speakerphone.

'I sure hope Hetty the Horrid Housekeeper doesn't hear you.' I said to them, referring to the lady who lived in the Boarding House with us and checked we were following the rules;

 _1) Strictly no boys in the Boarding House after 6pm._

 _2) Girls and boys are not to be alone together at any time._

 _3) Lights out by ten PM on weekdays and eleven PM on weekends._

 _4) Students are not to be in other rooms in their boarding house after ten PM._

'She's snoring her head off, I heard her earlier.' Zoe replied. 'But you're totally avoiding the question.'

'How was it?' Tina pryed again.

'Different.' I said, honestly.

'In a good or bad way?'

'Well it was all very formal and I had to be on my best behaviour all night. I met loads of really important people and got asked lots of questions about myself, which I had to answer and I had to be charming _all_ night.' I sighed.

'But you _are_ charming.' Lucy said.

'Maybe to you girls but you're my friends and I'm comfortable around you. Strangers make me nervous. I was nervous when I first met all of you, no offence.'

'None taken.'

'So it was boring?' Tina asked.

'What about the lovely Marcus?' Lucy teased and I was glad they weren't around to see me blush. 'I'm guessing the silence means he's still as lovely as ever.'

'Hush.' I said to her, feeling embarassed.

'Did you dance together?' Tina quizzed and I bit my lip.

'Yes.'

'And was it wonderful?' Zoe sighed, happily.

I thought back to being in Marcus' arms, his hand on my waist, his fingers interlocked with mine and I smiled. 'Yes it was.'

'Oh crap.' I cursed the next day as I had toast and tea for breakfast in my room whilst watching the television. I'd made the news. Again. They showed Phillip and I walking down the stairs at the Ball, me dancing with dad, me dancing with my brother and then there was a video of me dancing with Marcus.

 _'Her Royal Highness Princess Sky charmed everybody at the Ball last night in a Valento Designer dress inspired by Cinderella. She danced almost to perfection with the King and her brother, His Royal Highness Prince Phillip before surprising guests by dancing with Lord Marcus Abbott.'_

I groaned and Hannah looked up from where she was re-packing my suitcase for me. 'I hope it's not too bold for me to say your highness, but you two do look lovely dancing together.' She gave me a small smile as pictures from the night flicked up on the screen as the news moved on to talking about the charity and the amount raised the previous night.

'It's not too bold.' I told her, shyly. I finished the cup of tea I was drinking and sat up, grabbing the clothes she had laid out for me; white smart trousers, a blue shirt and a navy cashmere peplum jumper with nude-coloured court shoes. I showered and changed in the bathroom, making sure not to get my hair wet. It fell in loose curls from the previous night and they looked surprisingly good. I applied my subtle make-up first and then headed back into the bedroom. Hannah had disappeared and Nina had appeared in her place.

'All ready for your first ever interview with the press?' Nina asked me, seeming stupidly cheery for a Sunday morning.

I sucked in a deep breath. 'Okay.'

Nina and the King had decided to avoid criticism I needed to be interviewed by the press, but, thankfully, my father had chosen his favourite reporter to meet me. She covered a lot of the Royal family interviews and was very reliable, apparently. I met her in the library we'd been photographed in the previous night and she greeted me with a curtsy and the shake of the hand. Lady Clarence was there too, apparently in a supporting role, but I knew she was probably just keeping me in check.

'Thank you so much for giving your time up today, your highness.' Elzbieta, the reporter, said, a friendly smile on her face.

'You are most welcome.' I replied, formally, as rehearsed with Clarence a few days previously.

'Now if there are any questions you are not comfortable answering, that is fine of course. I will be recording you on my dictaphone to make sure I don't miss out any important bits.' She held up the small electronic device so that I could see it. 'And all in all, just be yourself.' I nodded and she pressed the record button. 'First of all, how are you adapting to life as a princess?'

I thought back to the very first phonecall Sally and Simon had recieved from my grandfather. They'd spoken in hushed tones and had asked me to leave the room. 'Well, believe it or not, I was enjoying my summer holiday, living near the beach in Newquay in a tiny two-bedroom cottage just a month and a half ago. Then my parents, Sally and Simon, recieved a phonecall from my grandfather and suddenly we were moving to Kingston-upon-Thames and I was starting a boarding school. It's all very new to me. There's things I'm having to learn that I've never even had to think about before.'

She nodded and smiled. 'What has been your biggest challenge so far?'

I paused for a moment before replying. 'I'm not sure any challenge in particular has been my biggest. I've faced a lot of challenges from starting a private school to making new friends to going to Royal engagements and being in the paper. They've all been equally challenging in their own ways.'

The interview continued formally, although some questions were more relaxed and easier to answer; what was my favourite lesson at school? What were my hobbies and interests? What did I like to do in my free time? The interview was over within an hour and I was relieved when Elzbieta shook my hand and left the room.

'Well you handled that rather well, dear.' Clarence said to me, cheerily, nodding.

Nina walked into the room, her headset on and a clipboard in hand. 'The car will be ready in an hour and a half, your highness.' She told me. 'Is there anything you would like to do before you leave?'

I found myself spending the last of my time in the paddock, riding Angel. I'd not changed into my full horse-riding gear, as I'd packed a set to take back to school, but I'd settled for slipping on riding boots over my outfit for the day. Horse-riding was somewhat relaxing and, after the busy weekend I'd had, it was just what I needed. I slept the whole journey back to school and I was surprised when Dimitri nudged me gently when we made our way back. He carried my bags and led me into the Boarding House. I was thankful that it was late evening, as it meant most people had retired to their rooms and weren't around to stare at me.

'You're back!' Lucy pulled me into a hug as I opened the door and the door opposite opened, revealing Zoe and Tina.

I spotted the textbooks open on Lucy's bed. 'Sorry, I've stopped you studying.'

'We can study later.' Tina said as she and Zoe pushed past me into the room I shared with Lucy. 'Come on, we want to hear all about your princess duties.'

I'd filled them in on the ball, showing them the photos the official palace photographer had taken, including the portrait photos of the family, which were now on the Royal website and the Facebook page. I showed them a picture of Angel and then I showed them a picture of my room, which they were in awe of. The conversation soon moved to Lucy's masquerade Ball the following weekend and she shared her plans with us. Her family lived in Sussex, so we would travel there on Saturday morning via a car her dad was sending and we'd be back by lunchtime on Sunday so that we could get our studying done. Lucy never said much about her family, but it was clear that they had a strong work ethic and they wanted their only child to succeed.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday flew by quickly and I spent the time catching up on studying and homework and working on my composition for my music assignment. I left classes on Thursday to see a surprising visitor waiting outside in the courtyard, being swamped by girls asking for photos and autographs.

'Hello dear sister.' Phillip smiled from the middle of his fans and I rolled my eyes at him.

'You'd think my brother is Leonardo di Caprio.'

'Except I'm much more charming.' He grinned and a few girls swooned, making me roll my eyes.

'To what pleasure do I owe this?' I asked, curiously.

He walked over to me and handed me his arm. I took it as a few girls moved out of our way, some gawping, some looking envious. 'I thought it would be nice to spend some time together, less formally. What are your plans this evening?'

I glanced over at Lucy and she shrugged. 'Nothing.'

'Excellent. Then let's grab dinner.'

We ended up in a pub that was far more my style than the expensive place he'd taken me to before and, this time, he'd invited my friends to come too. I knew they wouldn't turn the offer down. The old pub away from housing estates was quiet, as it was a Thursday night. We sat ourselves in the back by the fire, away from anybody else inside.

'This place is nice.' Tina said, glancing at the old beams on the ceiling.

'I like coming here when I want to feel normal.' Phillip replied with a friendly smile.

'Is it possible to feel normal?'

'Sometimes.' He shrugged. 'It is a rareity though.'

Zoe and Lucy shot me a sympathetic look and I knew exactly what they were thinking; I wasn't ever going to feel or be 'normal' again. I ordered my food and a glass of lemonade and I sat stirring the ice around in the liquid, watching it spin.

'Would you like to come and see the Royal apartments this weekend?' Phillip asked me and I glanced over at Lucy.

'Sorry but it's Lucy's birthday. We're all going to stay with her this weekend.' I said, apologetically.

'Sweet seventeen?' Phillip said to my roommate, his cheeky smile on his face.

'Or not so sweet.' Lucy said, flashing him a cheeky smile back. 'I'm having a masquerade party.'

'Should be fun.'

'You should come!' I looked at my friend in surprise and she shrugged. 'Come on, it'll be fun!'

'I'm not sure it will be when you're being hounded by screaming girls.' I said to my brother, although I knew he loved the attention.

'But he'll be in a mask.' Tina pointed out, her lips turning upwards into a smile. 'It will be our little secret.'


	5. Give me love like her

_**AN: Thank you for the views so far and thanks to those reviewing. Glad you're enjoying the story 'guest' and 'bluedreamer31'- yes Marcus is quite yummy, a perfect prince charming and I think Phil would be the ideal big brother! Enjoy!**_

The drive to Lucy's took about an hour and a half the following day, but I didn't mind. The route was scenic. We passed old, little villages and fields and hills sweeping across the landscape under the blue sky. Lucy lived on the outskirts of Peacehaven, a town on the East Sussex coastline not far from the city of Brighton. For safety reasons, Ciara had been sent to join us for the weekend, but she'd been assigned a guestroom so thankfully she'd be out of the way. She followed us in the car behind the SUV Lucy's father had sent and I buzzed with excitement as we reached the large iron gates. They opened and the driver pulled onto the driveway, outside a red-brick coloured building that looked pretty big.

We pulled out our own suitcases and Lucy glanced at the black sports car on the driveway. 'Mum and dad aren't in, dad's car isn't here.' She said and I glanced at the sports car. If that wasn't her dad's car, then whose was it? She walked over to the grand black doors and unlocked them carefully, leading us inside. We found ourselves in a hallway, decorated with shiny white tiled floors and painted white walls, which were decorated with pieces of art.

Lucy gave us a tour of the house. There was a large open-plan kitchen and dining area with the same polished white floors and white walls, large black island counters and a grand black dining table with leather dining chairs. There was a large conservatory behind, where party planners were setting up for the party that night. There were two reception rooms with sofas, comfy leather armchairs and flatscreen televisions; one also had a piano in it. All of the rooms had a white and black colour-scheme, very monochrome, but they were all decorated fashionably too. Lucy's room was up on the second floor and it was huge. Light pink carpeted floors, white walls (but one with pink patterned wallpaper on it) and a large double bed decorated with silver sheets and light pink cushions. There was a large white sofa, which doubled up as a sofa bed and a wall decorated with several mirrors. In the corner was a guitar and there was a dressing table. Then there was Lucy's favourite part; she opened the white wooden door which led to a walk-in wardrobe. I stared in awe at all of the clothes she owned. Not that I was surprised.

'Lucy!' A woman's voice called and our friend turned in surprise, walking out of the wardrobe. We followed her out and in walked a woman with a sleek brunette bob, closely followed by someone I recognised from music channels and magazines; Martin Collins, famous singer song-writer. Lucy hurried over to hug them both and I tried not to gawp.

'How are you, petal?' Martin Collins said, kissing Lucy's head. It all clicked into place; Lucy's dad was a grammy award-winner. This was why she very rarely mentionned her family. She didn't want to be treated differently for it.

'I'm fine thanks, dad.' She smiled. 'Of course you know Tina and Zoe already, but this is my roommate, Sky.'

'Your highness.' Martin Collins bowed as his wife curtsied.

'Please, just call me Sky.' I told them with a small smile. It seemed to be becoming my catchphrase.

'We picked up the flowers for you, darling.' Mrs Collins said to us all. 'They're setting up downstairs so you girls have plenty of time to finalise your dresses. I got you a private booking at Arabella's in town. Would you like me to drive you?'

'Arabella's?' Lucy squealed with excitement. 'Thanks mum!'

Arabella's was a designer dress shop specialising in Bridal wear, prom dresses and ballgowns. We stepped inside to be greeted by a woman called Arabella herself and she closed the curtains in the window of the shop to give us privacy. She handed us each a tiny glass of champagne and then we rummaged through the dresses, trying on huge puffy princess dresses and sexier numbers, giggling. Arabella soon brought out the masquerade masks she had ordered in for us, so that we could choose which one we wanted and then pick a dress from there. Lucy picked out a silver and white lace mask, Tina chose a simple black lace mask, Zoe a silver mask with blue feathers and I chose a beautiful golden mask with spiral patterns and the odd jewel. After two hours, we finally chose our dresses and we headed back to Lucy's house just in time for dinner. We ate our pasta and salad together before heading upstairs to get ready as the party was only two hours away.

'Well what do you think?' Lucy twirled in the lace and beaded cream vintage-style dress she'd bought with capped sleeves and a floaty skirt. Her hair was in an updo with loose strands framing her face.

'You look gorgeous.' I told her with a friendly smile as Tina and Zoe emerged from the walk-in wardrobe in their outfits for the evening. Tina wore a silver shimmery gown with a halterneck and a cinched waist, her hair in an updo with plaits over the top of their head and Zoe looked fabulous in a navy strapless dress with embellishment over the bust, her hair straight and worn down. 'As do you two.'

She all twirled in their dressed and then Lucy looked at me, in my jeans and tank top. 'I'm really hoping you're not going to the Ball dressed like that.'

I laughed. 'Nope. I'll go and get ready.' I walked into the walk-in wardrobe and unzipped my dress bag, admiring my dress. All of these parties were tiring, but I was building up a collection of lovely clothes, clothes I never would have worn previously. I'd always been a jeans girl, not a dress girl. I pulled on my dress, zipping it up carefully at the side and adjusting my hair in the mirror. I'd worn it down, in loose curls, pinned back slightly at the sides. My dress was gorgeous, which was just as well considering how much I'd paid for it on my 'princess' debit card. It was a burgundy off-the-shoulder dress, which was mermaid fitted; it hugged the little curves I had before falling out like a mermaid tail. The dress had burgundy lace detail around the bust, but was simple other than that. Simple but glamourous and possibly even Oscar-worthy. I fastened a simple pearl necklace around my neck and walked out to join my friends.

'Oh Sky!' Lucy gasped.

'You look lovely!' Zoe and Tina cooed.

I smiled at my friends as they pulled me in and we posed for photos together, with and without masks. Then our masks were fastened and secured, ready not to be revealed until midnight, when the party would end.

Lucy's conservatory had been decorated with cloths draped across the ceiling alongside fairy lights. Fairylights surrounded the room and there were flowers decorating the windowsill. There was a small stage on one side of the large room and the french doors to the dining room/kitchen were opened up, allowing guests to move between the two. The party was full when we made our entrance, following Lucy into the room, and for once I was thankful not to be the centre of attention. Nobody knew who I was hidden behind the mask and the thought was somewhat relieving. For the next half an hour, guests in their gladrags danced to the DJ whilst others munched on food from the buffet. Then Mr Collins walked out onto the stage and the room errupted into screams and applause. Lucy cringed beside the stage.

'I'd like to welcome my wonderful daughter to the stage.' Martin said, blowing Lucy's cover completing. She didn't seem to mind as we walked out onto the stage, mask still on. 'I cannot believe my little girl is already seventeen. Thank you for joining me to celebrate her birthday tonight.' He turned to Lucy now. 'I have a special surprise for you. I promised you a special guest and a special guest I have found.' We all gasped and some screamed as Ed Sheeran walked onto the stage. Lucy's hand came to her mouth as he pulled her into a hug.

'Holy crap.' Tina gasped from beside me.

'This is even better than last year's party.' Zoe added, shaking her head in disbelief.

'Are you going to be crazy fangirl all night again?' I asked Tina and she gave me a wicked grin. Ed started to strum his guitar, playing the opening chords of _Lego House_ as Lucy came back to join us.

'I'm in heaven.' She sighed and we giggled. 'My dad is the best.'

'Yes he is.' Tina agreed, staring at the stage in front of us. 'Now come on, let's dance.'

We danced away, in the crowd of boys and girls from our school, all of their identities hidden (although it was clear who Savannah and her posse were). As Ed Sheeran sang his lyrics to _Sing_ , a hand grabbed my arm. I turned around, looking at the guy with reddish brown hair stood in front of me, in his tuxedo and a Phantom of the Opera-style mask. I recognised the deep blue eyes straight away. 'Phillip?'

'Hello, sis.' He grinned, nodding at me. 'Looking fabulous once again.' I glanced around and realised that everyone was oblivious. No one had realised who he was. Ciara stood in the doorway, next to the security guard I recognised as one of my brother's. They watched us, warily. 'It's nice to be hidden, isn't it?' He commented, as if reading my thoughts. 'Nice to have eyes off of you for once.'

'I doubt you'd have been much competition for Ed Sheeran, though.' I laughed, signalling to the red-head singer-songwriter on the stage.

'Quite true.' He smiled. 'If you'll excuse me, I'm going to find a drink.'

The song ended and the chords of one of my Ed Sheeran favourites, _Give me love_ , started and I swayed gently, watching Lucy dancing with a masked guy I assumed was Nate whilst Tina and Zoe chatted to two guys. I smoothed down my dress, gently, and sighed. I was going to be dancing alone for this one. Then, I jumped as a hand touched the small of my back. I turned to see a guy in a tuxedo with messy hair, a simple black mask on. He held his hand out for me, inviting me to dance. Why the hell not? I took it and let him lead me to the dancefloor.

 _'Give me love like her,_

 _'Cause lately I've been waking up alone,'_

He placed his hand on the small of my back and one hand behind his back. The pieces fitted together and I glanced up at the deep green eyes. 'Marcus?'

 _'Paint splattered teardrops on my shirt.'_

'Sky.' He said with the familiar nervous smile.

 _'Told you I'd let them go.'_

He swayed from side to side gently in time to the music, our own well-rehearsed routine.

 _'And that I'll fight my corner,_

 _Maybe tonight I'll call ya,_

 _After my blood turns into alcohol,_

 _No, I just wanna hold ya.'_

Marcus' dancing changed and he spun me away from him, catching me by surprise, before pulling me back towards him. He took his hand in mine and pulled me closer than we had danced at the Ball the previous week, making my heart flutter slightly. A few people glanced our way as they danced with their partner and I wondered if our dance moves were giving us away. My brother had taken Tina's hand and pulled her onto the dancefloor and they passed us, a huge smile on Tina's face. The smile was contagious.

'You look more and more beautiful everytime I see you.' Marcus said as my eyes met his again. He twirled me in a circle before pulling me back into him, leading me in time to the music. I blushed and his smiled widened. 'So is this party more your thing?'

'Absolutely.' I stumbled and he caught me, and we recovered. My cheeks reddened, embarassed by my clumsiness.

'Don't worry.' He said, sensing my tension. 'You're a wonderful dancer.'

'Only thanks to you. I couldn't dance until you showed me.'

'You're a natural.'

I stumbled again and frowned. 'I'm a clutz.'

'A beautiful one at that.' He blushed a loose curl away from my face and his eyes looked into mine like he was looking into my soul. I wondered for a moment if he was going to kiss me. He leant towards me and I sucked in a deep breath and his face came towards mine. Then someone bumped into us and I groaned, inwardly as he caught me. 'I think some people have had a lot to drink.' Marcus said, his voice soft as the song ended. I glanced around the room and realised he was right. Some people were stumbling and swaying and a mosh pit had started where Ed was singing _'You need me but I don't need you.'_

Marcus held out his hand for me. 'Fancy some air?'

I smiled, shyly. 'Sure.'

We walked out of the french doors onto a stone balcony over-looking the vast green garden below. Marcus locked his fingers around mine and carefully led me down the steps, past the fairylights and past the fountain, into the shrubbery. The air was cool and I shivered. 'Here.' He took off his jacket and draped it over my bare shoulders, keeping me warm.

'Thank you.' I said with a smile, turning to look up at the house. A couple stood on the balcony behind their masks embraced and then kissed and I glanced away, wanting to give them some privacy.

'So this is a pretty fancy party for a seventeen-year-old.' He commented, breaking the silence between us.

'It is.' I agreed. 'Back in Cornwall we'd just have gone out for pizza or bowling.'

'You bowl?' He looked at me in surprise.

'Not very well.' I laughed, holding the tuxedo jacket over my shoulders.

'I'd like to see that some time.' Did that mean he wanted to spend time with me?

'Trust me, you wouldn't.'

The wind whipped past and my hair blew, making me frown. I'd spent ages getting it perfect and now it was going to look like a bird's nest. Marcus stepped towards me and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, looking into my eyes again. His face moved towards mine as his hand caressed my cheek. Then he gently brushed his lips over mine, in a soft and delicate kiss.

'I apologise,' he said as he drew backwards. I should have asked your permission to do that, your highness.'

I winced at the formality of his voice. 'You really must stop calling me that.' I stood on tiptoes and pressed my lips against his again. He placed a hand on the small of my back, pressing my body against his as he kissed me gently and then moved away, leaning his forehead against mine.

'Your brother is going to kill me.' Marcus whispered, his eyes nervous.

'Hmm you might be right.' I replied as he planted a gentle kiss on my forehead. I shivered as the cool breeze whipped past.

'Come on, let's head back inside.'

The party ended at midnight, as expected, and guests revealed their masks. Thankfully, my brother and Marcus had headed off just before midnight, avoiding the gawping and fangirling over them. Guests left and the party planners started to clean and tidy, leaving us to retire to Lucy's room. We changed into our pyjamas and chilled in Lucy's bedroom with ice cream for a midnight snack.

'Did you enjoy your party?' I asked Lucy after swallowing a spoon of Ben and Jerry's Cookie Dough. My favourite.

'It was perfect.' She sighed, happily, licking her spoon.

'Right up to kissing Nate?' Tina wiggled her eyebrows and I looked at my roommate in surprise.

'What?!'

'Hey!' Lucy blushed and hide behind her long, brunette hair, which was curly from being in a bun. 'It was only a kiss on the cheek.'

'He still kissed you.' Tina replied with a smile, before turning to me. 'And where did you sneak off to with Marcus?' My cheeks blushed and her eyebrows shot up. 'Did you... kiss?' I bit my lip and felt the blush rising up my cheeks.

'Oh my god!' Zoe and Lucy squealed at the same time.

'Details. Now.' Tina said, pointing her spoon at me. It was something I wasn't going to get out of.

 _'I stare at my reflection in the mirror:_

 _"Why am I doing this to myself?"_

 _Losing my mind on a tiny error,_

 _I nearly left the real me on the shelf._

 _No, no, no, no, no..._

 _Don't lose who you are in the blur of the stars_

 _Seeing is deceiving, dreaming is believing,_

 _It's okay not to be okay._

 _Sometimes it's hard to follow your heart._

 _Tears don't mean you're losing, everybody's bruising,_

 _Just be true to who you are.'_

'Nice.' I stopped playing the piano keys on the baby grand piano in the room I'd reserved to compose the song for my assignment. Zed was stood in the doorway, looking cocky with his arms folded across his chest as he leaned against the doorframe.

'Can I help you?' I raised an eyebrow, closing my songbook so that he couldn't read what I'd been writing.

'You've gone over your scheduled time.' He replied, casually, adjusting the tie he wore with his school uniform.

I glanced at the clock on the wall; 5:10. I had gone over. 'Sorry.' I stood up, grabbing my coat and my school satchel.

'And are you true to who you are?'

'What?' I looked at him, puzzled.

'Your song.'

I walked over to the door and he moved out of the way. 'That's none of your business.'

When I got back to my bedroom, there was a wonderful bouquet of blue flowers sat on the windowsill in a glass vase of water. 'Who are those from?' I asked Lucy as she picked up her guitar and slid it carefully back into its case.

'I don't know, they're for you.' She gave me a sly smile and I figured she already knew the answer.

I was sure I did too. I walked over to the flowers and picked up the small envelope in them. I opened it carefully and read the message;

 _Sky,_

 _Thank you for two wonderful dances in two weeks. I hope I can see you soon._

 _Yours,_

 _Mark_

I smiled. Of course they were from Marcus. Who else could they have been from? I pulled my phone out of my bag and sent him a message.

 _Thank you so much for the flowers! They're beautiful. S xx_

The reply almost came straight away.

 _They reminded me of your beautiful eyes. Can I see you tomorrow evening? M x_

I smiled and Lucy looked at me in curiousity.

 _Sounds perfect. I'll see you then. S xx_

I had an unwelcome visitor at my window that night, knocking constantly and I knew he wasn't going to go away. I pulled my hoodie over my pyjama top and climbed out of the window, where Zed was waiting for me as he had been a few weeks ago. I didn't want to talk to him but the noise he was making would wake up Lucy and possibly the girls in the room next to us, perhaps even the staff. I pulled the window closed behind me and glanced across at him, where he was sat leaning against the trunk of the tree on the branch I was on. 'What do you want?' I muttered.

'To talk.' He said, grabbing my arm as I wobbled on the branch. 'Come on, I'll help you down.'

'I can get down myself.' I moved my feet onto the best branch down and carefully made my way down to the ground, closely followed by Zed. He landed with a thump beside me and I folded my arms across his chest. 'Well?'

'People will see us here.'

'It's the middle of the night.'

'Is that a risk you want to take, your highness?'

I wiggled my toes in the boots I'd slipped on over my pyjama bottoms. 'No.'

'Then come with me.'

I followed him in the darkness off of the gravel driveway and across the grass, down to the lake. In the dark I felt nervous and I wondered if I could trust him. He was known around the campus for sleeping around, smoking and drinking. He was a bad boy through and through. Bad but very sexy. I internally slapped myself for the latter thought. For mid-October the air was cold and I could see my breath when we stopped by the lake, hidden behind the trees. I turned to face him and I could have sworn he almost looked nervous. 'Well?'

'I shouldn't have tried to kiss you at the Harvest Ball. I'm sorry.' He apologised.

'You were drunk.' I replied, casually. 'Maybe next time you should try being sober. It might work out for you.'

'Who says it didn't work out for me?' He smiled a cocky smile. 'You don't talk to Savannah much, do you?'

'Ew gross.' I shuddered at the thought of a steamy make-out session or worse with perfect Savannah with her sun-kissed skin, blow-dried hair, long legs and big breasts. She was the perfect girl, surely.

'But you... you've been avoiding me.'

'I've been busy.' I replied casually and he nodded.

'So the news has told me.' His gaze became more intense and I looked away, towards the lake, the reflection of the moon in it. 'You can ignore me and hide as much as you want, Sky, but I'm your soulfinder.' _And one day you might believe me._

I looked back at him. How had he just done that without even moving his lips? I shivered, feeling cold and feeling creeped out. 'I stand by what I said before. You're crazy and I want nothing to do with you.'

' _Sky.'_ He reached out for me and I snapped my hand away.

'You call me out here to share your lies with me? Don't you think I have been through enough over the last few weeks? My whole life has changed and now you're trying to freak me out with your weirdness. Really?'

'Why would I make this up, Sky, really? I have an ability, you must do too. Hasn't anything unusual started to happen?'

'My whole life has been unusual lately.' I frowned and then I ran back to the boarding house, leaving Zed Benedict stood in the cold.

I sighed in frustration as I rummaged through my wardrobe after school had finished the following day. My friends looked over at me, their eyes no longer fixed on Damon Salvatore and they all watched as I emptied the contents of my wardrobe on the floor. 'That's it, I'm wearing my school uniform on the date.'

'Well some guys would probably like that but I think our skirts are two inches too long for that and you'd need to wear long socks instead of tights.' Tina said, cheekily. I launched a cushion across the room at her. 'Okay, you're not in the mood for jokes. I get it.'

'Here, let me help.' Lucy came over and joined me. 'What does Marcus have planned for you?'

'I don't know.' I sighed. 'But I've got nothing to wear.'

My friend flicked through my wardrobe, pulling out a cap sleeve deep blue dress covered with white daises. She held it up. 'Wear this with your cream tights, cream cardigan and brown riding boots.' She said to me with a reassuring smile. 'Cute but not dressy. You'll look great.'

I changed into the outfit and walked back into the room to show my friends. 'Well?'

'Perfect.' They all chorused before giggling at their use of the same word.

A knock came at the door and I pulled my hairband out of my hair, quickly letting my blonde curls fall freely around my shoulders. I opened the door. 'Hello Dimitri.'

'Lord Marcus is outside waiting for you, your highness.' He said with a small smile. 'You will not need security where you are going this evening, unless of course you would like us to join you.'

I raised my eyebrows in surprise and I felt relieved; a night without being stalked by security? Hurrah! 'No that is fine, thank you Dimitri.' I turned to my friends who were grinning behind me. 'Right losers, I'll see you later.' I grabbed my bag and headed along the corridor and down the stairs to the Boarding House entrance. I made my way outside and found a black Audi R8 and Marcus stood beside it, looking nervous as a few of my fellow students gawped at the car and at my new male friend.

'Hey.' He said with a shy smile as I walked over to him. He opened the passenger door for me and I climbed inside, securing my seatbelt as he walked back around and climbed into the driver's side. 'How are you, beautiful?'

I blushed at the compliment. 'I'm fine thanks.' Although I was tired from my annoying midnight visitor. 'You?'

'Very well thank you.' He smiled and he turned his key in the ignition.

'I think you have some fans.' I glanced over at the girls watching us, excitedly. Or more likely watching Marcus and his handsome British good-looks.

He sighed and put his car into gear, speeding up the driveway. 'Let's get out of here.'

We were in the car for around twenty minutes when Marcus turned up a country lane. 'Where are we going?' I asked, stretching my short legs out in front of me.

'You'll see.' He gave me a small smile and stopped outside of a gate. He typed in a code and the large gate opened, revealing a beautiful country house.

'Is this your house?' I asked, in awe. It was huge and old-fashionned and it seemed to have a lot of hand.

'It's my family's house.' He replied, pulling into the driveway. I froze and he must have sensed my tension. 'Mother and father are out at dinner. Plus we're not going in the house.' He parked his car and turned of the engine. I opened the door but he rushed around, taking it from me.

'I can open a door.' I laughed as he helped me out of the car.

'But that wouldn't be the gentlemanly thing to do.' He replied, closing the door behind me. 'Shall we?' He led me behind the giant house and through the beautifully landscaped garden with its fountain and flowers and crop plots. He led us to a stone house at the bottom of the garden, one which had probably once been wear the housekeeper had lived. He unlocked the door and led me in, turning on the light. Inside was a reception room with sofas, a television, a pool table and a small skittle alley. On the coffee table laid a picnic basket and two wine glasses, a fluffy white rug laid out on the floor in front of a stove. 'I hope this is okay. I know it's not a ball or anything but-'

'It's perfect.' I told him, genuinely. I looked up to meet his eyes and he smiled. I sat down on the rug as he lit the fire to keep the old cottage warm and then he moved to sit by me.

He picked up a wine glass and poured a glass of posh-looking favourite water. 'Here you are.'

'Thank you.' I smiled, carefully taking it from him. I was thankful it wasn't wine when I had school the following day. I sipped at it and we sat in silence for a few moments as the fire started to warm my face.

'So how is your week going so far?' Marcus asked as he pulled the food out of the basket; warm and cold buffet food, salad, quiche, sandwiches and some delicious cakes. Yummy.

'It's been okay.' I replied, honestly. 'I've been busy studying but the princess-y stuff has calmed down for the time-being. What about your week?'

'Pretty tough cases,' he replied, referring to his Law University Course he was studying at Westminster University. 'But my week is much better now I've seen you.' His green eyes sparkled as he said it and it made my heart flutter in my chest. I blushed and bit my lip in response and he reached out to gently caress my cheek. I wondered if he was going to kiss me, but he looked nervous and moved to pass me a plate of food. 'Are you hungry?'

I wanted to say no because part of me longed for another kiss, but my stomach said otherwise. It growled and he chuckled, letting me tuck into the food. Dinner was relaxed and we spoke like old friends as we ate, sat by the fire on the warm rug. We moved to the sofa after we had eaten and Marcus switched on a film that we both agreed on; Pirates of the Carribean.

'Let me guess, you fancy Johnny Depp?' Marcus teased as Captain Jack Sparrow appeared on the screen.

I laughed. 'Actually, he's more Sally's type then mine.' I wrinkled my nose. 'He's a bit old and actually, guys in eyeliner with dreadlocks really don't do anything for me.'

He grinned and draped his arm over my shoulder and pulled me towards him so that my head rested against his shoulder. 'What about Lords with brown hair and green eyes?'

 _Sky?_

I stiffened and glanced around at the sound of Zed Benedict's voice. _Are you following me?_

 _Of course not._ There it was again.

 _I can't see you._ I squinted at the window. How was I hearing him when he wasn't here, in Marcus' grounds, was he?

'Did I say something wrong?' Marcus looked concerned and his eyes looked sad.

 _You can't see me because I'm in London about to do a gig. I told you, Sky, we can use telepathy._

My stomach sank. Was this a joke? Was this real? I glanced up at Marcus, who still looked worried. 'Sky? Did I mess up?'

'Of course not.' I told him, hating the concern on his face. I pressed my lips against his, trying to rid both of our worries and concerns away.


	6. Be true to who you are

_**AN: I've realised that when I'm writing, I always picture the characters looking a certain way; Sky as Lily James, only with blue eyes instead of brown. Zed as Matt Lanter with brown eyes. Marcus as Chace Crawford, only green-eyed. Phillip as Brant Daugherty. What do you think?**_

I hardly slept that night and Zed was determined not to let me sleep. He was bouncing off the walls, claiming that his band had just been signed by Universal Records. He was in a band with Nate, I knew that, but part of me had started to wonder if I was hallucinating or even coming down with something. That's why I pretended to be sick the next day.

'Oh you poor thing. You do look quite pale.' Lucy said, sympathetically, putting a glass of water by my bed. 'I'll let your teachers know. Get some rest.'

'Lucy, did Nate's band get signed last night?'

'You heard?' Her lips curled up into a pride smile. 'It's wonderful news, isn't it?'

I felt more queasey and I pulled the covers up to cover my mouth as I winced. I had heard. One way or another.

'I'll see you later. Get well soon.' She closed the curtains again and disappeared, leaving me to my own devices. I promptly pulled out my laptop and looked up the term _savant_ , trying to find out what on earth was going on.

 _Savant Syndrome_

 _Savant syndrome is a condition in which a person with a mental disability, such as an autism spectrum disorder, demonstrates profound and prodigious capacities or abilities far in excess of what would be considered normal._

I blinked. I had a mental disability? It was seeming highly likely at this point. I was believing that Zed was talking to me in my head. That must have been something unusual, surely? I tried _soulfinder_ next, but the term wasn't recognised. Anywhere. Yep, I definitely was imagining things. My stomach churned and I wondered if my lack of sleep and stress had actually made me sick or if it was just God's way of telling me I shouldn't be skiving school.

I must have fallen asleep because it was 12:00 when I next looked at the clock. My body was sticky with sweat and I felt revolting. I forced myself to shower and then I dressed in jeans and a baggy jumper before returning to my room.

 _I haven't seen you at lunch. Where are you?_ Zed again. Really?

 _It's all in my head. Please go away._

 _It's not in your head, Sky._

 _Please Zed, you're hurting my head._ And he was. My head throbbed and I groaned, holding it. I almost missed the small trickle of blood coming from my nose. Just like that, everything went silent as I wiped my body nose and drifted out of consciousness.

'Sky, are you okay?' Lucy asked when she returned that evening with a birthday cake. I felt guilty. It was her birthday and I'd not wished her a happy birthday.

'Happy birthday.' I said, quietly and she frowned, sitting beside me.

'Should I call a doctor? Or Sally and Simon? You're awfully pale.' She said, concern etched on her face.

'I'll be okay.' I replied, sitting up.

'I think you still need another day off tomorrow.' She sighed and I nodded, not feeling well enough to disagree.

'What did you get for your birthday?' I asked. She'd unwrapped the bag the girls and I had bought together at her house the previous weekend. Her worried face changed and her mouth tilted upwards into a small smile as she reached into her bag, pulling out an envelope. She passed it to me and my eyes widened. 'You're going to see Taylor Swift next Friday? That's _awesome!_ _ **'**_

'No, darling,' she took the four tickets, spreading them out like a fan between her fingers, ' _we_ are going to Taylor Swift next Friday. And it is going to be _awesome_.'

I returned to school on Friday and I'd spent the whole day avoiding Zed as much as possible. I was still confused and pretty certain that my mind was playing tricks on me. I was sure that it's because the pressure of everything going on had just gotten too much. I stretched out my legs under the piano as I moved on from playing the composed piece for my music assignment due the following Friday.

 _'There I was again tonight_

 _Forcing laughter, faking smiles_

 _Same old tired lonely place_

 _Walls of insincerity,_

 _Shifting eyes and vacancy_

 _Vanished when I saw your face_

 _All I can say is it was enchanting to meet you_

 _Your eyes whispered, "Have we met?"_

 _Across the room your silhouette_

 _Starts to make its way to me_

 _The playful conversation starts_

 _Counter all your quick remarks_

 _Like passing notes in secrecy_

 _And it was enchanting to meet you.'_

I froze when I realised I was no longer alone. Zed stood in the doorway with his cocky smile and folded arms, watching me with an intense expression that made me feel uneasy.

'You need to stop doing that.' I told him, closing the piano lid. 'I ran over my time again, sorry.' I stood up and brushed down my plaid uniform skirt.

'It's okay, maybe I like hearing you sing.' He grinned and I blushed, looking down at the black rider boots on my feet. 'You have a lovely voice.' I shifted awkwardly and he walked over to me. 'How are you feeling?'

'Okay.' I replied.

'Lucy said it was your head?' He looked concerned and I nodded, taking a step back so that he was not too close. He reached for my head but then changed his mind and let his hand fall to his side. 'Was it my fault? Did I use telepathy too much?'

I blinked as realisation sank in. 'Was it real?'

He nodded before frowning. 'You didn't believe me, did you?'

'It sounds completely crazy. It _is_ completely crazy. Can you blame me for not believing it?' I frowned and walked away from him, running my hand across the top of the piano. 'If this is real, what of the other stories I have been told as a child? Superheroes? Dragons? Witches?'

'Princesses?' He gave a lopsided smile at that. 'I guess we are superheroes, in a way. I mean, I can see the future, as can my mother. Have you noticed anything unusual?'

'Everything seems unusual.' I sighed.

'Sky?' I glanced up to see Marcus stood in the doorway with a beautiful bouquet of wildflowers.

I smiled at him, a genuine, surprised smile. 'What are you doing here?'

'I wanted to surprise you.' He replied. His eyes flicked across to Zed and I noticed a green aura glimmering around him. My eyes widened. A green aura? That wasn't normal. Could I see emotions? Was this jealousy.

'Uhm, this is Zed, he's in my music and p.e class.' I managed to get out as my heart hammered against my chest. I could see emotions? There was silence and it felt awkward as Zed gave Marcus a dirty look and he frowned in response. I grabbed my bag and songbook, walking over to Marcus and holding out my hand for him. 'Shall we go?'

He smiled down at me and we both visibly relaxed as he locked his fingers around mine, softly. 'Let's.'

Marcus took me out for dinner that evening, somewhere away from anywhere else, somewhere expensive but relaxing and romantic. Like a true gentleman, he walked me to my door and kissed me goodnight before leaving, although I couldn't get mine and Zed's conversation out of my head; I was a savant. And what he didn't know yet was that I could see people's emotions. No one knew. And I couldn't tell anyone, could I?

'Well this is a surprise.' I said to Nina when I opened my door to her the following morning after breakfast.

She frowned at me. 'Well you clearly did not check your e-mails.'

'I check my e-mails every day.' I held up my phone and showed her my Hotmail account.

She rolled her eyes. 'Your palace e-mails. Remember, we gave you that e-mail address to use?' The one that was in the file on my bedside table that I had completely ignored all week? Whoops. 'Never mind, come on, we've got places to be.'

'Places to be' ended up being Kensington, just a five minute walk from Kensington Palace. I'd never actually been to Kensington. I'd been to London, of course, visiting the galleries with Sally and Simon and I'd seen the main sights like Big Ben and the London Eye. But Kensington had never been a place I'd felt the need to visit. Wilfred turned the car into a private car park behind a large, iron gate which was being guarded by two security guards in a little security house. I swallowed when I realised they were both armed. Wilfred parked in a space and moved around to open the door for me. By this point I was used to it, so I waited until he had opened the door and I thanked him as I got out. Then I saw my parents.

'Sally! Simon! What are you doing here?!' I called out, excitedly as Sally pulled me into a hug and then Simon.

'Are you not pleased to see us?' Simon chuckled, kissing the top of my head.

'We missed you.' Sally said, a sad smile on her face.

I felt guilty. I'd hardly spoken to them over the last few weeks because everything had been so busy. Busy and not to mention overwhelming. 'I'm sorry I've not been in contact more.' I apologised.

'Don't worry about it.' Sally hugged me again.

I glanced up at the large period red brick building in front of me. Whatever the building was, it wasn't cheap and neither were the two parked cars which made Sally and Simon's Fiat Punto looked ridiculous. I recognised one of them straight away and I turned to Nina. 'My brother is here?'

She nodded and passed me a set of keys. 'Your highness, welcome to Kensington State apartments. The apartments are owned by the Royal family and this is where your his Royal Highness Prince Phillip lives.'

I looked at the set of keys in my hand; one was a long silver key and the other was a small gold key. 'So these are keys to my brother's apartment?'

'No, your highness, these are keys to _your_ apartment.'

I had to type a code in to get into the main building, through the grand door and I was hardly surprised to see that there was a desk in the lobby like it was a hotel. Two security guards stood as I walked in and bowed at me, as did the person I assumed to be a porter. 'Your highness, an honor.' The porter said with a smile as he took off his hat. 'Do you have any luggage today?'

'No I haven't...' I trailed off, not knowing his name.

'Chadwick.'

I tried not to act phased by his unusual name, but I did my princessy part perfectly. I held out my hand and shook his. 'It's a pleasure to meet you, Chadwick.'

'Your highness, if you ever need anything then don't hesitate to let me know. I'm here from 8am until 8pm daily.'

That was a long day of standing about. 'Thank you.'

The lift to the first floor was old but beautiful and there was thankfully no lame elevator music. We left the elevator and I followed Nina past a store cupboard until we reached two doors. 'This is the Prince and Princess wing.' She told us, cheerily. She signalled to the first door. 'This is your front door, number 8.' Then she signalled to the door next to us. 'And this is number 9, Prince Phillip's apartment. Of course, there are lots of other rooms along this wing but they're only really used by guests nowadays.' She signalled to the locks. 'Would you care to do the honors?'

I turned the silver key first and then the gold, pleased that it was extra secure. Then I walked in. 'Holy crap.' Nina frowned and Sally giggled at my unladylikeness. But I couldn't help it. We'd walked into a large hallway with polished wooden floors, white walls and marble pillars, reaching up to the ceiling with a Georgian ceiling trim. There were wooden stairs leading down and I could see a reception room at the end of the hallway. The reception room was light and spacious with a white carpet, white sofa and two white leather chairs. There was a beautiful fireplace with a flatscreen television just above it and a glorious chandelier on the ceiling. I walked over to the large window and could see the courtyard garden below with its fountain, flowers and benches.

'The garden can be accessed downstairs.' Nina told me from behind me. 'Isn't it lovely?'

I simply just nodded in response and continued around the rest of the apartment. The next room I came across was the Master bedroom or the suite. And it was everything a princess could possibly have wanted. The walls were a very light shade of blue and the floor wooden with a large, fluffy white rug next to the bed. The bed itself was a masterpiece; a white bedframe with spiralled roses and swirls with a plush light blue headboard and a white canopy cascading down the wall, spilling out over each side of the bed from the white metal crown on the wall. The bed itself was decorated with a blue floral duvet, similar to the one in my dorm room, and had cushions of blue and white scattered on it. At each side of the bed was an antique-looking white bedside table with a lamp and a drawer. One wall was completely covered by a giant white wardrobe, decorated with full-length mirrors and painted detail. Then there was the dressing table and dresser and finally the large bay window with its own window seat, over-looking the view.

'Is it to your liking, your highness? We are more than willing to redecorate if this is not what you imagined.' Nina told me and I gawped at her.

'It's beautiful.' I smiled, really meaning it.

'It's very you.' Sally squeezed my shoulder as I admired the large ensuite bathroom.

'Prince Phillip helped with the interior design. He made a lot of the decisions.' Nina said with a smile that told me she admired my brother as much as I did. The other rooms were just as beautiful; there was a guest room with twin beds, both in blue with their own little canopy similar to the one in my room. Then there was the double guest room with a double bed, cream carpet, cream sofa, wardrober, dresser and cream duvet with a grey blanket and grey cushions scattered on it. There were two other bathrooms giving the apartment three in total. They were all modern-looking with fancy 'rain' showers, although my tub was definitely the best of them all; it had jets and everything! Downstairs, where the double guest bedroom was, there was another reception room with a black corner sofa and walls filled with books (heaven), and then there was the kitchen-diner with its polished marble counter tops and grand wooden table with comfy seats for six guests. The beautiful patio doors led out onto my own private terrace with outdoor seating and a few potted plants and then it led out into the courtyard garden, which was completely surrounded by the other buildings.

'Is it to your taste, your highness?' Nina asked me and I wondered if she thought I was a diva. I'd have been happy with a cosy little studio apartment somewhere. It was my _own_ apartment. I was sixteen and had my _own_ apartment.

'It's absolutely perfect.'

'This is your apartment to use when you please but we do suggest calling the front desk to let them know you're planning on visiting so that they can ensure you have stocked cupboards and fridges and they'll always put the fire on for you so that the property is warm when you arrive.' She said, reading out from her iPad. 'They can call in a chef to cook for you too if you would prefer and they can sort out house-keeping at any time. Of course, it's your apartment so guests are welcome too. Is there anything else I can help you with today?' She looked at me with a false smile and I realised she was really hoping there wasn't. It was a lovely sunny day, despite being October, and she probably wanted to be off enjoying it.

'No that is all Nina, thank you.'

She curtsied. 'You're welcome, your highness.' And then she left me stood in my new kitchen, gawping. Something else which wasn't very ladylike.

Sally and Simon had lunch with me and we made the use of the fully stocked fridge. As we finished lunch and moved onto cups of tea in my upstairs living room, the doorbell rang. I glanced at my parents in surprise, knowing it was unlikely that anyone had got in. Apparently the security guards at the gate wouldn't let guests in until they had been confirmed with me. Then I put the pieces together; it had to be my brother.

Sure enough, I opened the door and Phillip was stood there looking polished despite wearing jeans and a loose-fitting shirt. Did he wear shirts all the time? Tina was going to be delighted. She definitely had her eye on him, that much was clear.

'Hello dear sister.' He grinned, pulling me into a bear hug. 'How do you like your apartment?'

'It's wonderful.' I smiled as he pulled back. 'Thank you for all of your help with the decorating.'

'I just gave the interior designer a few ideas.' He shrugged. 'I thought about your room at school.'

'It's perfect.' I could hear Sally and Simon laughing in the living room and I sucked in a deep breath before asking a brave question. 'Would you like to come in? My parents are here but I'm sure they'd like to meet you.'

He looked nervous for a moment, which surprised me. Phillip always seemed to calm, so collected, in every situation. It was part of his princely charm. 'Of course.' He said, his voice full of uncertainty. He stepped through the doorway and I carefully closed the door behind him.

I led Phillip across the landing and into the living room, where Sally and Simon were sat chatting on the white leather sofa. They glanced up when I entered, smiling at my brother. 'Sally, Simon, this is my brother Phillip. Phil, this is Sally and Simon, my parents.'

He walked over in prince-mode as they moved to bow and curtsy but he shook his head. 'Honestly, there's no need for formality.' He shook their hands, a shy smile on his face. 'It's lovely to meet you.'

'Would you like a cup of tea?' Simon offered before I could.

'That would be lovely, thank you.'

Phillip's nerves were soon settled by my parents as they reassured him with friendly smiled and they spoke to him about art, something I had no idea he was interested in. There was still a lot I didn't know about my brother and that disappointed me. There were twenty years of his life that I knew very little about and that was upsetting. When Sally and Simon asked if I needed to be driven back to the school, I declined, accepting Phillip's offer of ordering a takeaway pizza and having brother-sister time instead. I said my goodbyes to my parents and Phillip ordered us some food as I checked out my wardrobe and dresser, which already had clothes in it; underwear, some silk pyjama shirts and bottoms, a few pairs of formal trousers, a polo outfit, some jumpers, some blouses and some very pretty dresses and skirts, all designer. Then there were several pairs of shoes, everything from boots to court shoes to ballet pumps in different colours.

'All ordered. Chadwick will bring it up when it arrives.' Phillip said, appearing in my doorway with a smile. The doorbell rang and his grin widened.

'Are we expecting anybody else?' I asked him, curiously.

'That will be your housewarming present.'

'My housewarming present?' I followed him to the door and he opened it to two gentleman with a rather large housewarming present; a baby grand piano that must have been an antique. It was beautifully painted by hand with cream and green patterning . I turned to face Phillip. 'This is not a housewarming present. A candle or flowers, sure, but not a piano!'

'Don't you like it?' He asked, looking taken aback.

'Of course I do.' I blinked as the two men pushing the piano looked at me with uncertainty. 'But you shouldn't have.'

'Your home isn't complete without one.' He said with a small smile. 'Now please accept my gift dear sister or I'll be deeply offended.'

I sighed. 'Fine.'

'It will look wonderful in the living room.' Phillip directed the gentlemen and the piano and they wheeled it across the landing and into the corner of the living room, placing it by the window. He tipped them both and they left instantly, closing the front door behind us. I walked over to the piano and ran my fingers over the detailing and perfect woodwork. Then I lifted the lid and gasped at what I saw; on the inside of the lid was a beautiful painting of the Arc d'Triomphe.

'It's beautiful.' I whispered in awe.

'Test it out.' He signalled to the vintage stool that looked like it had been reupholstered.

'I can't.' I replied, quietly. I hated performing in front of people. I always had done. It was what was worrying me about our music assignment; I was expected to perform my own composition and that scared me.

Phillip reached past me, lifting the fall which covered the keys. He ran his fingers over a few notes. 'Well if you're not going to play the piano then I'm afraid you'll have to listen to me and I can tell you I'm not particularly gifted. In fact, Marcus says I'm quite the opposite.'

I smiled to myself at the mention of Marcus. 'I'm sure you're just fine.' He played a few keys and I winced at the incorrect notes and the lack of rhythm. Phillip laughed and looked over at me and I sighed, sitting myself down on the piano. I ran my fingers over the keys, playing the tune to my composition.

'Do you sing?' He asked and I nodded, but he didn't ask me to. He simply just watched as I ran my fingers over the keys and when I finished, he smiled. 'What a talented sister I have.'

I blushed. 'I'm really not that good.'

'You're too modest.'

Dinner arrived shortly after that and we logged into Phillip's Netflix account on the Wii U in my living room, watching funny films and chatting about the little things, things which shouldn't matter but were worth knowing. I wanted to get to know my brother, so even finding out that Thor was his favourite superhero was exciting for me. It felt strange when he left, heading back to his apartment and leaving me alone. I changed into silk pyjamas, enjoying the feeling of the silkiness on my freshly-shaved legs and I slipped under my plump duvet, sinking into my comfortable mattress. My phone buzzed beside me and I reached for it, checking the message.

 _We miss you! My mum is getting us outfits for Taylor's concert. We're wearing the cheerleading outfits like in her Shake it off video, just not crop tops. Will have arrived by Wednesday. L, Z and T xx_

I smiled and slipped off into a deep, deep sleep.

The following week was a busy one, one I spent mostly either in the music room or rehearsing on the piano in my Kingston apartment, trying to perfect my composition. I returned Marcus' phonecalls and texts, but I told him I couldn't meet up until the weekend. I was determined to do well in my assignment, even though I was worried I would have a panic attack onstage. Before I knew it, it was Friday.

Our 'showcase' was on from 1.30pm until 3pm and then we were setting off for Taylor Swift, the one thing keeping me going. I'd invited the girls to stay at my apartment as it was far easier to get back there then to Kingston late at night. Phillip had said he'd either send a car or pick us up himself afterwards as he didn't want me risking the underground, which was fine by me. I watched as Savannah finished her composition on the violin and she bowed in her tight-fitted black Chanel dress. I sucked in a deep breath. Lucy was next and then it was my turn. The order had been chosen at random, we'd drawn names from a hat. I'd ended up near the end, which was a relief in some ways but a nightmare in others. Lucy walked out onto the stage, nervously, looking up at the audience, filled with fellow students and invited family members. I felt bad for her. Her parents weren't able to make it. I, on the other hand, had Sally and Simon supporting me in the audience.

Lucy hung her guitar around her neck and took a noticeable breath before starting to play the chords and I prayed that her nerves wouldn't get the better of her. She gave a small smile and started to sing,

' _I'm losing myself_

 _Trying to compete_

 _With everyone else_

 _Instead of just being me_

 _Don't know where to turn_

 _I've been stuck in this routine_

 _I need to change my ways_

 _Instead of always being weak_

 _I don't wanna be afraid_

 _I wanna wake up feeling beautiful..today_

 _And know that I'm okay_

 _Cause everyone's perfect in unusual ways_

 _So you see, I just wanna believe in me.'_

She got through the whole song without a melt down, even though her legs were visibly shaking, and I applauded her, proud of the girl quickly becoming my best friend. She walked off the stage and I pulled her into a hug, only having enough time for a whispered 'Good luck' before I was announced as the next performer. I ran my smoothed down the light blue lace dress I'd chosen for the performance, hoping it would stop the clamminess and I walked out onto the stage in silence. I sat down at the piano, thankful that my performance involved sitting down; it meant I wouldn't fall. Until I got up, at least.

The audience were so silent, I was sure they'd hear my deep breaths as I found the keys and started to play the notes, sending music flying through the air. I closed my eyes as I started to sing, determined not to look at the many faces watching me. I sang and I sang my heart out, putting all of my emotion into the song about fitting in and how sometimes you just needed to be yourself. I thought of all the times I'd been laughed at, bullied, called names. I thought of my awful childhood and the mean kids I'd come across in all of the years I'd spent at school. I sang for the girls that needed a voice.

 _'Don't lose who you are in the blur of the stars!_

 _Seeing is deceiving, dreaming is believing,_

 _It's okay not to be okay..._

 _Sometimes it's hard to follow your heart._

 _Tears don't mean you're losing, everybody's bruising,_

 _Just be true to who you are.'_

I finished the song and opened my eyes, feeling anxious as I realised people were applauding me. Some people were even standing. I spotted Sally and Simon and I realised Sally was dabbing her eyes. Then I realised she was sat next to my brother. I'd had no idea he was coming. Adrenaline and butterflies swam through me as I stood up and shakily made my way off stage.

Lucy pulled me into a hug. 'That was amazing! I had no idea you could sing like that!' She cooed. 'You're so talented!'

'Not as much as you.' I replied, feeling shy due to the compliment.

'Oh please, that was a performance that wasn't even X-Factor worthy.'

Zed Benedict's name was announced and he passed us, locking eyes with me before walking onto the stage. Lucy watched the intense exchange and shot me a curious look, but I simply just shrugged. He walked out onto the stage, his guitar strapped over his shoulder. Into the microphone, he said, 'hey' in that husky voice of his and a few girls screamed somewhere in the theatre, making me roll my eyes.

He played an intro that I knew he probably was used to playing on an electric guitar and then he started to sing, making my knees weak. _'Everybody's got their demons_

 _Even wide awake or dreaming_

 _I'm the one who ends up leaving_

 _Make it okay_

 _See a war, I wanna fight it_

 _See a match, I wanna strike it_

 _Every fire I've ignited_

 _Faded to grey_

 _But now that I'm broken_

 _Now that you know it_

 _Caught up in a moment_

 _Can you see inside?_

 _'Cause I've got a jet black heart_

 _And there's a hurricane underneath it_

 _Trying to keep us apart_

 _I write with a poison pen_

 _But these chemicals moving between us_

 _Are the reason to start again.'_

I spent the song in a trance and didn't return to reality until the song was over, the final performance, and Zed was walking off the stage towards us. Lucy nudged me as our teacher passed us, walking onstage to thank everyone for coming. Just like that the show closed and my friend tugged my arm. 'We have to go!'

Zed appeared by us, his cocky smile on his face. 'So how was I?'

My bubble popped. Zed Benedict was an arrogant arsehole. 'I've heard better.' I said, trying to deflate his ego.

He frowned at me. 'I was going to invite you down the pub. There's this place that'll serve underage it's-'

'Sky, we _have_ to go.' Lucy tugged at me again and, without, responding to Zed, we disappeared off to the front of the theatre. Sally and Simon praised me, as did Phillip, who was busy fending off girls when we found him.

'Ready to go?' He asked. 'I'll give you girls a lift to the apartment.'

We didn't waste any time. We headed back to the dorms, grabbing our weekend bags with Tina and Zoe and then we piled into my brother's car, much to the excitement of my friends. They admired the leather interior as we pulled away, a few of our classmates watching in envy as we drove off, closely followed by a security team.

'Holy shit!' Tina gasped when we walked into my apartment forty minutes later, after Phillip had dropped us off and headed to a meeting.

'Tina!' Lucy tutted. 'We're in _Royal_ apartments.'

'It's okay, that was pretty much my reaction too.' I replied. 'Fancy a tour?'

The girls squealed and gawped as I showed them around the apartment that I was sure cost several million pound. Just the thought made my head spin. We placed our bags in my bedroom and made pasta in the kitchen for dinner. Once we'd finished eating, it was time for operation Taylor Swift concert. The doors to the arena opened at 7pm, but we wanted to get there early. We all changed into our custom-made cheerleader outfits, tied our hair back into ponytails decorated with blue and yellow ribbons and Tina did our make-up; winged eyeliner and red lippy.

I glanced in the mirror, looking at my tied back hair and white, yellow and blue Taylor Swift cheerleader uniform. It was just like the outfit Taylor had worn in her Shake it Off video, only it was a dress not a crop top and skirt. I sighed and the girls all turned to look at me. 'Do you think people will recognise me?'

Lucy looked thoughtful as she looked at me. 'Well you _do_ look different to your official portraits and your outfit at the ball.'

'I don't want a security guard following me around the whole time.' I groaned. Ciara was bound to be returning later.

'Can't you just say you don't want one this evening?' Zoe suggested, changing her earrings to pearl ones. I reached down to roll down my socks and I slipped my feet into the white canvas trainers we'd all bought.

'It doesn't work that way.' Tina pointed out. 'They're there to protect you, Sky.'

'But I've gone sixteen years of my life without being protected.' I sighed, leaning back onto the bed and jumping as the buzzer sounded. 'That must be the car.'

Lucy held up a Taylor Swift t-shirt. 'Well if Ciara isn't going to be scarce, we could always make her fit in.'

'Are you commanding me to wear a Taylor Swift t-shirt, your highness?' Ciara frowned as Wilfred drove us to the venue in a blacked out SUV. I'd already told him I didn't want the doors opened for us when we arrived. I wanted to be inconspicuous.

'Yes,' I smiled, 'yes I am.'

Ciara sighed and grabbed the t-shirt from me, clearly irritated. 'I thought you weren't the commanding type.'

'I want a normal night out with my friends, so you need to look like a fan and I know you're sat in the front row with us so could you please at least look like you're having fun?'

We made it into the o2 arena safely and the place was already packed with girls, mainly teenagers, and the odd boyfriend, brother or guy who clearly fancied Miss Swift. We headed to the merchandise first, buying a few keepsakes, and I felt relieved that we hadn't been recognised as we grabbed a drink in Starbucks, sitting outside and people-watching. Some girls were dressed up, some as Alice in Wonderland characters and some as cats. Then there were the guys and girls wearing Taylor t-shirts or clothes with lyrics from her songs on them. a few glanced our way, acknowledging our outfit choices, but they just saw us as any old teenage girls in fancy dress. I surpressed a giggle as I looked over at my security guard, who usually wore black and an earpiece. Her hair was down, hiding the earpiece and she wore jeans and a t-shirt with Taylor's face on it. She looked less than impressed and I wondered if Dimitri would tease her for this later.

The doors to the venue soon opened and crowds made their ways to the gates which were scattered around the large arena. We followed the crowds to our gate, making our way through security and then into the arena. I gasped. I'd never been to a concert and I definitely had never been to the o2 arena in London. The former Millenium Dome had the capacity to seat 20,000 people and some of the top balcony seats could hardly be seen, they were so high up. I was glad we weren't up there. I didn't do heights. We found Row A straight away and we found out seats. Front, centre. By the main stage with a catwalk next to us and a smaller stage several rows behind us. Adrenaline pumped through me and I squealed with excitement.

'Excited?' Lucy laughed from beside me.

'I've never been to a concert before.' I admitted as Ciara sat down beside me, hiding from the selfies we were taking.

'You haven't?' Tina gasped. 'Oh, you'll love it.'

'Taylor's great.' Lucy smiled. 'Though I've never sat this close. I wish I could meet her. She's totally cool. Dad's worked with her a few times.'

I smiled. I loved Taylor's music. Most of it was feel-good and it was relatable too. 'Let's take some more pictures.' Ciara took a few photos of us posing in our matching cheerleader uniforms but I hestitated before uploading it to Instagram. My number of followers had gone up by a lot recently, since my username on every website had become hrhprincessksy. Twitter was the same; I had thousands of followers and very few of them I actually knew on a personal basis. It was scary and that was why I rarely posted something now. I'd Tweet about Taylor's show and I'd post some pictures on Instagram, but not until the show was over and I was leaving. I wanted to be just another teenage fan for just a few more hours.

The support act was James Bay and he was as awesome as I thought he would be. His music was chilled out, acoustic stuff but that hadn't stopped us dancing. We danced away and sang along to the songs we had recognised from the radio. Then, the lights went down and people walked out onto the stage in suits, carrying newspapers as the introduction to 'Welcome to New York' came blaring through the speakers. And then Taylor was there, in her skirt and crop top, a far cry away from the cowboy boots and dresses she'd worn when I'd first listened to her music. But she was still awesome and she knew how to work the crowd. We danced and sang along together and we squealed with delight when 'Shake it off' came on. Taylor sang to us, high-fiving us for our costume choice and we jumped up and down excitedly.

That was when I noticed two women approach us as a cameraman photographed us. I swallowed. They'd figured out who I was, hadn't they? I stiffened and the girls stopped dancing beside me as Ciara watched, cautiously, as the women reached us.

'Hello.' One said, a cheery smile on her face. 'Have you girls met Taylor before?'

'If only!' Lucy said, dramatically, and we giggled.

'Promise?'

Lucy glanced at all of us, with a puzzled expression. 'Yes, we promise.'

'Would you like to meet her after the show?' The other woman asked and my eyes widened.

'Are you serious?!' Lucy gawped.

'Here. All the details are in this envelope.' A pink envelope was passed to us and then they were gone. Lucy didn't hesitate to open it. Inside was a pink invite and four pink wristbands.

 _Taylor Swift_

 _The 1989 World Tour_

 _Loft '89_

 _Your group has been selected for an opportunity to meet Taylor backstage after the show. Immediately following the show. Meet in section 49._

'Sweet baby Jesus!' Tina gasped as Lucy beamed with excitement.

'This birthday present just got even better!' Lucy grinned, nudging me. I gave a small smile, aware people were watching us, but I shrugged it off and enjoyed the rest of the show.

'I can't leave you, your highness.' Claudia said as we headed to section 49.

'Would you keep your voice down?' I whispered, hoping no one had heard her.

'Sorry.' She apologised. 'But I need to keep you safe.'

'We only have four wristbands.' I told her.

'I'm sure they'll let me in when I show them my ID badge.

I groaned. 'Please, Claudia, can't you just wait out here? They'll be security guards in there. It's very safe. It has to be for Taylor.' She frowned at me and I decided to make my second command as royalty, as it seemed that was the only way I would get what I wanted. 'I command you to wait outside the arena for us.'

She looked uncertain and sighed, knowing full well that she had to listen to my orders. 'Call me if you need me at all.' And then she was gone.

A few other girls and two boys with wristbands soon joined us and, before long, we were led backstage. 'Loft 89' was a small room decorated with draped cloths and a '1989' light-up sign. There were pizzas spread out on a table, as well as cupcakes, and there was another table filled with bottles of fizzy drinks and water. Lucy bounced in anticipation beside me and I tightened my ponytail, freezing when the other lucky fans glanced at me, their heads cocked to the side. Had they worked me out? It was possible. Other than security, there were only ten of us in the room.

'You look awful familiar.' One of the girls dressed in red said to me and I gave a small smile.

'I must have one of those faces.'

Thankfully, that was the moment Taylor walked in wearing a white dress, heels and a red jacket. She smiled cheerily and said, 'hey guys, it's great to meet you all.'

Lucy wobbled beside me and I grabbed her before she could go anywhere. Everyone was gawping. Two girls screamed. One guy cried. It really was a bizarre situation to be in. Taylor put on some music for us to listen to and she spent time meeting each of us, whilst the others ate food and spoke to her mum and her brother. She came to our group finally and I was sure my roommate was close to exploding.

'Hey girls, I love the outfits.' Taylor said in her Native twang.

'Thank you.' Tina said with a friendly smile, looking very relaxed in comparison with our brunette friend.

'It's great to meet you...' She glanced at us, waiting for our names.

Tina took the lead. 'I'm Tina and this is Zoe, Lucy and Sky.'

Taylor glanced at me and her eyes widened as she put the puzzle pieces together. 'Oh, erm, Princess Sky.' She moved to curtsy, but I shook my head.

'Please, there's no need for that. I'm just Sky this evening.' I gave a small smile and her blue eyes met mine.

'I know exactly what you mean.' She said, knowingly.

We were only allowed to stay for an hour before the venue wanted to start closing up for the night, so after spending the hour laughing, joking and taking photos with Taylor, it was time to leave, but not before Taylor asked for my number. I gave it willingly and then felt bad for Lucy. She looked disappointed, but then her nerves had got the better of her that evening. She'd been very quiet. We exited backstage and slipped on our coats as Ciara caught up with us. I was surprised she'd waited around for so long, but then I knew it was part of our job. We waited at the 'drop off' point in the cold for Phillip to pick us up, but I was surprised by the black Audi that pulled up instead.

Marcus climbed out, a cheerful smile on his face. 'Hello ladies.'

I glanced at the Audi RS4 that he didn't usually drive. 'What are you doing here?'

'Being your taxi service for this evening.' He replied, his eyes flickering over my outfit and then back up to meet my pools of blue.

'You have two cars?'

'A two-seater is useful when it's just me but this one is a bit more laidback, don't you think?'

'I'm not sure any Audis are laidback.' I laughed as he opened the door. I glanced at Ciara. She wasn't going to fit in the car. 'Ciara?'

'I'll be using the Underground. I'm only two stops away, your highness. Have a good evening.' And then she disappeared.

Marcus shot me a questioning look. 'Was Ciara wearing a Taylor Swift t-shirt?'


	7. Dancin' away with my heart

'You make a wonderful cheerleader.' Marcus smiled when we were back at my apartment, my friends downstairs drinking hot chocolate in the smaller living room I'd renamed 'The Library.'

I sank into the leather sofa and he sat down beside me as I blushed, folding my arms across my chest. 'It's not really me.' I said, honestly. I'd be the worst cheerleader ever. Falling about all over the place.

'Well the uniform suits you.' His smile met his eyes and they twinkled. 'I heard your concert went well this evening.'

'It did.' I said, relieved. 'I'm glad it's all over.'

'I'd like to hear you play some time.' He signalled to the piano in the corner of the room and I bit my lip, nerves flowing through me as the pink aura surrounded him. I wondered what emotion it was. I wasn't sure. All I knew was that it was a savant ability of some kind. Marcus interrupted my thoughts by leaning towards me, caressing my cheek with his hand and pressing his lips against mine. I kissed him back, enjoying the relaxed feeling I had when he kissed me. His soft lips moved against mine as he held me cheeks with his hands, keeping me in place. The kiss deepened and both of our breaths quickened and he suddenly pulled back. 'I must go.' He said, his eyes looking deep into mine.

'You'll be back awful late.' I said, glancing at the clock above the fireplace. It had passed midnight.

'I'm staying at your brother's.' He replied with a smile. 'He has a party tomorrow. Will you be attending?'

Phillip had mentionned it once or twice, but I wasn't aware that I had been invited. Plus I had my friends staying for the weekend. 'I'm not sure.' I told him and his smile turned to disappointment.

'Well I do hope to see you there.' He placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. 'Goodnight, beautiful.' And then he was gone.

The girls and I were woken by the doorbell the following morning and I groaned as I threw myself out of bed, careful not to land on Zoe and Tina who were asleep on a sofabed next to my luxury double bed I had shared with Lucy. I grabbed my fluffy white dressing gown, wrapping it over my silk pyjama set and I padded across the carpet and out onto the landing, carefully opening the door. Phillip was stood there, in jeans and a t-shirt, and I wondered what time it was. He looked cheery and awake and I yawned as if it was some ridiculous hour in the morning.

'Morning, sis.' He smiled as I let him into the apartment, closing the door behind him. 'Sorry, did I wake you?'

'What time is it?'

'Ten thirty.' He replied and I stretched. I'd nearly been asleep ten hours. Clearly I had needed it.

'Would you like a cup of tea?'

'No, it's fine thank you, I'm on a flying visit.'

'Oh?' I cocked my head to the side as I looked at the brother who shared my father's eyes with me.

'I'm hoping you and your friends will be attending my party later.' He said.

'We didn't bring any ballgowns with us.' I told him. We'd been expecting a quiet night in.

Phillip wrinkled his nose. 'Ballgowns? It's a house party, sister. People dress up yes, but ballgowns aren't required. It's more a cocktail dress affair.'

'We don't have any party dresses with us.'

'Well that's hardly a problem, baby sis.' Phillip grinned. 'Are you forgetting you are in London? You have hundreds of shops at your disposal.'

I woke up the girls and we ate breakfast in our pyjamas around the dining table in the kitchen, watching the fountain in the terrace outside. I pulled out my phone and flicked back through the photos from last night, realising I hadn't posted them to social media yet. I uploaded all of the photographs to Facebook and then I pulled up the photo of the girls and I posing in our cheerleading costumes by the stage and I uploaded it to Twitter and Instagram.

 _Had a great night watching taylorswift13 last night!_

Then I looked at the photo of us making silly faces with Taylor and I smiled. There were sensible pictures, but that one was definitely my favourite.

 _Was great meeting you taylorswift13 ! You're awesome!_

I showered and dressed in my ensuite, deciding on jeans, riding boots, a blouse, a cashmere jumper and my warm coat to protect myself from the cooling Autumn air. I tied my hair back into a plait and then I waited for the girls to get ready. I'd been happy catching the tube to Oxford Street, but Dimitri had dismissed the idea. Instead, we piled into the SUV and took the twenty minute drive to the main shopping centre in London.

The street was packed when we arrived and I remembered visiting once before with Sally and thinking the same thing. Shoppers and tourists hurried around with brown paper Primark bags, chatting and gossiping. A few looked my way and gaped at me open-mouthed, causing me to slip on my sunglasses. In busy London, it wasn't so easy to hide and I realised why it was even less easy when we passed a Newsagents. On the front cover of almost every paper was me, laughing in my cheerleader costume the previous night. Someone had recognised me and taken a photograph.

 _Just a normal teen!_

 _Teen Queen!_

 _Royal Variety!_

I tensed and Lucy gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. The photograph wasn't a bad one, but it had been an invasion of my privacy and that bothered me. I picked up a paper and scanned to the article, only skimming it. It referred to me as a normal teenager and then went on to speak about the affair my mother had had with the King and that made me feel irritated. There was a photograph too of me sat at the piano at my school concert the day before. Someone had turned that one in. I'd been described as a talented pianist and singer. I sighed. Even on the days when I thought my life was normal, it wasn't.

'Come on Sky, let's go. There's no use worrying about it.' Tina said with a friendly smile. She was right, so I followed my friends to Topshop.

The day was going well, even with the ocassional stare I recieved. We each tried on lots of dresses and then chose one, before heading to a late lunch at a restaurant just off the main street. The waitress by the door asked how many needed seating and then she looked at me, her eyes wide. 'Your highness, an honor.' She curtisied and my smile faded. Today wasn't going to be a normal day either. 'I'll give you the best table in the house.'

We were seated upstairs by a large glass window which overlooked Soho Square, a small piece of tranquility in the busy London city. The food was delicious and many compliments were paid by the staff, all of whom felt the need to introduce themselves to me whilst Dimitri called for our taxi. I paid for the whole meal on the 'princess card', despite complaints from my friends and after paying the tip, we made our way back downstairs.

'Your highness, there appears to be paparazzi outside.' Dimitri warned, grabbing my arm. 'Keep close to me and we'll get straight into the car.' Dimitri held my arm and we pushed out through the crowds of paparazzi and onlookers, my friends close behind me. He opened the door of the SUV for me and I climbed in, followed by the girls. Dimitri closed the door and moved round to the passenger seat, sliding in as the car started up. I released my shopping bags, putting them on the floor, and I let out a huge sigh. Life had gotten seriously weird in the last few months, that was for sure.

The party was set to start at 7pm, so we spent the rest of the afternoon prepping ourselves. We painted each other's nails and toenails, had face masks, did our hair and then it was time to get dressed. All of us looked sophisticated and classy, but with a hint of sexy. And it was the most sexy I'd ever felt. Lucy wore a khaki Forever Unique dress with sweetheart neckline and off-the-shoulder bustier joining onto a chiffon skater skirt, black stilettos on her feet and her hair pin-straight, framing her face. Tina's hair was in red curls and she wore black shoe boots and a silver midi dress with a plunge front and back, making her look at least eighteen. Zoe's hair was in a loose bun and she wore black heels decorated with flowers and a lace halterneck dress with prom skirt. Then there was my outfit, that I loved but was quite nervous about wearing. My dress finished just above the knee and it had a peach-coloured bustier top that made my breasts look a little bigger than they were (thankfully) and a sparkly pink sequinned bodycon skirt. The dress was fitted and flattering and it almost made my legs look longer paired with the shoes I'd worn for the Ball at the palace a few weeks back. My make-up made my eyes look bluer than normal and my blonde hair framed my face in loose curls. I felt pretty. Nervous, but pretty.

'Whit-woo!' Lucy called as I emerged from my ensuite bathroom in my outfit.

I blushed and smoothed down my dress. 'Is it too much?'

'Not at all,' Tina smiled, 'not at all.'

Phillip's apartment was more modern that mine, with very few antiques in sight. It looked more like the home of a Hollywood star than the Crown Prince of England, with it's rectangular-shaped sofas and egg-shaped chairs. There was a DJ booth on the far side of the main reception room, although I assumed that was usually not there, and waitors walked around in waistcoats, weaving in and out of men and women wearing expensive clothing and security guards. A few girls I recognised from the Ball, except this time they wore short dresses with low backs or plunge fronts. It wasn't a formal party, but the sexy dresses were still designer.

'Maybe I'm overdressed after all.' I laughed to Lucy as a girl passed me in a dress that revealed dresses I was sure weren't real. She laughed and grabbed two glasses of wine from a passing waitor, passing one to me. I took a sip of the expensive wine and enjoyed the fruity taste it left in my mouth.

'Good evening ladies.' My brother walked towards us in a tuxedo and I grabbed Tina before she could collapse beside me from swooning. My brother kissed each of our cheeks in greeting. 'You all look spectacular.'

I blushed at the compliment. 'Thank you.'

'Come on,' he held out his arm for me. 'There are people I would like you to meet.'

He led me around the party, introducing me to each guest, some who were Lords or Ladies and others who were friends from when he was at school. They all seemed nice and accepting of me, welcoming me to 'the family.' I spotted Marcus across the room talking to a pretty brunette with ridiculously long legs, her chest on display in her tiny dress. She touched his arm as she spoke to him and laughed at something he said. For the first time in a long time, I felt somewhat jealous. Phillip excused himself and Marcus glanced up, spotting me. His eyes twinkled as he smiled and I walked towards him, carefully not to lose my footing in my heeled shoes.

'You look beautiful, as always.' Marcus said and the look he gave me made me almost believe it. He planted a soft kiss on my cheek and I glanced at his lady friend as he stepped back. 'This is Roseanna, a family friend. Roseanna, her Royal Highness Princess Sky.'

It was the first time in a long time that Marcus had used a formal title when speaking to me, but I knew it was because I did not know Roseanna. I wasn't sure I wanted to either. She curtsied. 'It's lovely to meet you, I have heard a lot about you.'

'All good things, I hope.' I said, seriously, but she laughed at it as if it was a joke.

'Of course, your highness.' She glanced at Marcus and then back at me. 'If you'll excuse me.'

I relaxed as I looked at Marcus and I realised his expression had turned to apologetic. 'I'm sorry, Roseanna and I have history.' He frowned. 'But it is _history_ so there's no need to worry.'

I had been worried, uncertain even, but then I was also uncertain as to what was going on between the two of us. We went on dates, spoke to each other almost everyday, we kissed each other. What were we? Friends? Dating? Boyfriend and girlfriend? It hadn't been discussed. 'It's okay,' I told him, 'I trust you.'

'That's lovely to hear.' His smile was heart-warming as his hand met mine and he pulled my hand to his lips to gently kiss it. 'You really do look breathtaking this evening.' I blushed and he smiled as he ran his fingers gently over my cheek, before tucking a loose curl behind my ear. A few people glanced our way, watching the exchange and I held my hands together in front of me, nervously. 'What is it?' He asked, his voice soft.

'Can we talk?'

His eyes looked concerned. 'Of course.' He placed his hand on the small of my back and led me to the empty reception room downstairs. I couldn't help but notice that the layout of the apartment was very similar to my own, only more updated. I sat down on the very rectangular black leather sofa and Marcus hesitated before sitting down beside me. 'Is everything okay, Sky?'

'What are we?' I asked him, hoping to settle my curiosity.

'What do you mean?'

I bit my lip, feeling embarassed and more so over having to explain what I meant. 'You and I. What are we?'

He took my hand in his. 'Whatever you would like us to be.' His thumb gently rubbed the back of my hand and it felt relaxing, comforting. 'I like you a lot, Sky, but we will be whatever you want us to be. Whether that's friends or boyfriend and girlfriend. I am happy with whatever you decide.'

He had been raised to be a gentleman, that much was clear. I smiled at him. 'Well that's good because I kinda assumed you were my boyfriend.'

His lips twitched up in the corners into a smile and he pressed his lips to my forehead, in a gentle gesture. 'That's lovely to hear.'

'There's just one problem.'

'Oh?' His smile faded and his facial expression became nervous once again.

'The press are following me almost everywhere at the moment. They even found out where I was having lunch earlier and they took photographs. Being with me is going to come with a lot of baggage. I'm still learning all this princess stuff and there's that with its crazy expectations and there's the press, the public, watching my every move. Everyone will know about our lives.' He chuckled and I gave him a puzzled look. 'What?'

'Sky, I've grown up with your brother and he and I have been in the papers together many times, as have my mother and I. Being in the press, it isn't new to me.'

'Oh.' I felt embarassed and I looked down.

'If we're in the public eye, I'm fine with that, but I still like these private moments even better.' He whispered, lifting my chin with his finger so that I was looking at him again. He gently pressed his lips to mine as the music upstairs was turned up. 'Would you like to dance? I'm afraid a waltz won't do for this sort of party but I know many other dances.'

'Do you know how to twerk?' I teased and he laughed, shaking his head.

'I cannot twerk, I'm afraid, but I think people would love to see a princess doing so. Let's go.'

It seemed somewhat ironic when 'King' by Years and Years came blaring out of the DJ's speakers. Lucy and Zoe were dancing together, whilst Tina danced with a man I did not recognise.

 _'I caught you watching me under the light_

 _Can I realign?_

 _They say it's easy to leave you behind_

 _I don't want to try.'_

Marcus placed his hands gently on my hips and I placed mine up on his shoulders, thankful that I had worn heels, making dancing with him much easier.

 _'Cut cover, take that test_

 _Hold courage to your chest_

 _Don't wanna wait for you_

 _Don't wanna have to lose_

 _All that I compromised to feel another high_

 _I've got to keep it down tonight.'_

We moved in time to the music and Marcus sang along, which surprised me. I was even more surprised that he had a lovely singing voice.

 _'And oh oh oh, I was a king under your control_

 _And oh oh oh, I want to feel like you've let me go_

 _So let me go.'_

Having a boyfriend was a new experience to me, but it was a wonderful one. I had someone sending me a 'good morning beautiful' text everyday and somehow who called just before I went to bed. Marcus would turn up and surprise me or send flowers or chocolates. He'd take me to dinner, much to the delight of the papers who were gushing about what a wonderful match we were, or he'd make us picnics or drive me into the countryside so that we could watch the stars. The closer we became, the more right it felt, although the big secret I carried was started to niggle at my insides. I was starting to see auras around people on a more common basis and now I'd worked out a lot of the colours.

Red was anger.

Gold was love.

Pink was lust.

Deep green was jealousy.

Light green was guilt.

Blue was sadness.

Yellow was when someone was lying.

What I hadn't yet worked out was how to turn off the ability and this became increasingly annoying, especially when I was in the cafeteria or in the theatre at assembly in the mornings. I was surrounded by colours. It was like being at a disco and it made my eyes hurt.

 _Are you alright?_ Zed's voice took me by surprise in the last Friday assembly before half-term. We spoke using telepathy often and it had stopped being as painful now that I was getting used to it. It didn't stop it feeling any less weird, though.

 _Yes._

 _You're very pale._

I glanced across the room at where he sat, watching me, a purple surrounding him. What did purple even mean? I skinted at our headteacher on the stage, trying to ignore the other colours but it was useless. I felt dizzy and unwell. I stood up and excused myself, walking out into the cold air as November neared. The trees were bare, orange and yellow leaves below them, blowing in the wind. Rain fell on me but I didn't care. I was just glad that my eyes had stopped hurting.

'Sky?' Zed appeared behind me, without a coat and soaking wet. 'What's going on?'

I hadn't told him I could see colours. I thought it sounded crazy. 'I just feel unwell.' I lied, blinking away the raindrop that had landed on my eyelash.

'It's your ability, isn't it?'

'Hush!' I said, my eyes wide as I glanced around. I was surprised that Ciara hadn't followed me out of the theatre. Either that or she was hidden somewhere.

 _Sky you can tell me._ He'd switched to telepathy, knowing we wouldn't be heard this time.

 _It sounds totally crazy._

 _Isn't talking to each other in our heads crazy too?_

I sighed. _I can see emotions. I know how people are feeling by the aura that surrounds them. Is that weird?_

 _Not at all._ He gave a small smile and reached out for me, but I took a step back. 'Of course, your boyfriend.'

The word sounded bitter and I frowned at him. 'You say that word like it's deadly.'

'It is.' He told me, his frown returning to his face. 'Because you should be with me.' And then he was gone.

I had to tell someone. I needed to talk to someone. So I told Lucy I packed for my apartment that evening. Everyone was going home for half-term, although I was holding a Halloween party at my apartment, with help from my brother so they'd all be returning early for that.

'He told you that you _should_ be with him? What a jerk.' She frowned as I closed my suitcase. I'd missed out the part about Zed and I being savants. That was enough weirdness for one day.

'Exactly.' I sighed.

'He's just disgusting and a complete idiot.'

'Enough about me.' I said as I grabbed my coat. 'How are you and Nate?'

'Same old.' She sighed. 'I really hoped that perhaps that kiss on the cheek might have led to something. His parents are coming to stay this weekend though and so is he, so you never know.'

'You should kiss him.' I told her and she looked mortified at the thought. 'What, Luce? I'm sure he likes you too. Very sure of it. Maybe he's too afraid to make the first move.'

She looked shy and nervous as her eyes met mine. 'I guess we'll see what happens.' She pulled me into a hug. 'Have a lovely few days and I'll see you on Friday for your party.'

Wilfred greeted me with a bow and a friendly smile as Dimitri carried my baggage, placing it in the trunk of the car. I climbed inside quickly, trying to avoid the rain that had poured all day. I glanced out the window at the school as we pulled away, just as Zed ran out of his boarding house, waving me off.

The housekeeping had offered to help me unpack when I arrived at my apartment, which had been cleaned and tidied and my clothes from the previous weekend had been washed and dry cleaned, hung in my wardrobe ready for their next outing. I'd declined the offer of unpacking, wanting to do it myself. I put my iPod in the dock and turned on some motivating music, opening up my suitcases and pulling out my clothes and hanging them. I put my school uniform in the washing hamper and dressed in a comfy pair of jeans and an off-the-shoulder knitted jumper. I jumped at the sound of the doorbell.

I walked out across the landing to the front door, opening it carefully. I smiled at Marcus stood there before me. 'Hello you.'

'Hello.' He grinned, kissing me softly and picking me up, his arms wrapped around my waist. He closed the door behind him. 'How are you?'

'I'm good, thank you. Yourself?'

'Much better now.' He kissed my forehead gently and my heart fluttered. 'I thought perhaps I could cook you dinner? It will be nice to spend some time together away from the press.'

I nodded in agreement. 'That would be wonderful.' And it would. We'd had press following us to restaurants and trying to follow us on autumn picnics over the last two weeks and it was getting tiring and dull. Normality was good. We walked to the kitchen and I was surprised that Marcus knew exactly what my fridge and cupboards would be stocked with. I shot him a curious look and he grinned.

'I might have put an order in.' He said and I laughed. I reached into the cupboard and pulled out a candle, putting it on the table. I carefully lit it and moved to sit on the counter, watching Marcus work. Even in jeans and a rolled-up shirt, he was incredibly handsome. He had clear bicep muscles and subtle muscles on his chest, although his muscles were smaller than Zed's. I scowled at myself for thinking of _his_ muscles when my boyfriend was right in front of me, cooking me dinner.

His green eyes looked up to meet mine and they sparkled as he ran a hand through his scruffy brown hair. He walked over to me, placing his hands on my hips so that I had a knee either side of his body. My cheeks blushed. It was a very intimate gesture. I found myself reaching up to move his fringe gently with my fingers, so that it wasn't blocking off his beautiful emerald eyes. He pressed his lips to mine gently and then rested his forehead against mine. 'There's something I need to say.' He whispered and I looked at him with uncertainty. It had been a month since we had started dating. Had he grown tired and bored of me already?

'Whatever it is you need to say, say it.' I whispered back, holding my breath.

'I know it is so very soon but... I'm in love with you, Sky. I love you.' His eyes softened and he kissed my forehead. My heart fluttered in my chest. Did I feel the same? It was surely too soon to tell. Sensing my hesitation, he spoke again. 'I'm not expecting you to feel the same, not yet. Take all the time you need.' He smiled and caressed my cheek, before stepping back to the dinner.

'There's still a lot about you I'd like to know.' Marcus told me as we ate the dinner he had cooked, in the candlelight in my oversized kitchen/diner.

'Like what?' I asked, sipping at my glass of lemonade.

'Let's play a game. I can ask you five questions and you can ask me any five. Deal?'

'Deal.'

He looked thoughtful for a moment. 'What are you three favourite films of all time?'

'Easy. Breakfast at Tiffany's, Tangled and Iron Man.'

He looked surprised. 'That's quite a diverse range there.'

'It is.' I smiled. 'Who is your favourite superhero?'

'It is Iron Man, actually. His suit is red, my favourite colour, and he's pretty unstoppable. What is your halloween costume?'

'Ah, a wasted question.' I laughed. 'Because that, I'm afraid, I am not telling you. Who is your favourite author?'

'Sorry for being a cliche but I do enjoy Shakespeare's works. I know it makes me sound about thirty years older than I am, but I find his writing quite enjoyable. What is your all time favourite song?'

I thought about it for a moment. There were lots of songs that I liked. I liked _Tenerife Sea_ by Ed Sheeran. I liked _Enchanted_ by Taylor Swift. Then it hit me and I replied. 'Just a kiss by Lady Antebellum.'

'It's a song, I'm not familiar with.' He replied, honestly.

I stood up, feeling brave. 'Then follow me.' I led Marcus upstairs to the living room and I sat down at the piano, patting the space beside me. He squeezed onto the small stool next to me as I sucked in a deep breath. I didn't perform for people. I panicked when I did so. But for some reason, I felt relaxed about Marcus. I ran my fingers across the keys playing the chords and I started to sing,

 _'Lyin' here with you so close to me_

 _It's hard to fight these feelings when it feels so hard to breathe_

 _Caught up in this moment_

 _Caught up in your smile_

 _I've never opened up to anyone_

 _So hard to hold back when I'm holding you in my arms_

 _We don't need to rush this_

 _Let's just take it slow_

 _Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight_

 _Just a touch of the fire burning so bright_

 _No I don't want to mess this thing up_

 _I don't want to push too far_

 _Just a shot in the dark that you just might_

 _Be the one I've been waiting for my whole life_

 _So baby I'm alright, with just a kiss goodnight.'_

I stopped playing and I glanced at my boyfriend, who was watching me with an expression on his face I didn't recognise. His eyes looked deep into mine and his lips were turned upwards in a small smile. 'Erm, shall we put a film on?' I suggested and he nodded, his eyes still locked on mine. I decided for Iron Man and I slid it into the DVD player, pressed play and then signalled for Marcus to join me on the sofa. He sat down beside me and then his lips were on mine and he was kissing me like there was no tomorrow.

I woke up Sunday feeling more nervous than I'd felt my whole life. For one, I was attending some Royal events that week including a visit to a children's hospital and an opening at a children's centre. Then there was the fact that Sally and Simon were joining me for dinner at the palace the following day, so that they could meet my biological father. Then there was the fact that I was joining Marcus' parents for Sunday lunch. Sure, I'd met Lady Clarence before and I knew her quite well, but that didn't make me less nervous. I was still a trainee princess, yes, but now I was a trainee princess who was dating her son, her only child.

I showered and let my hair dry naturally, allowing it to dry in blonde curls framing my face. Then I spent the morning studying, curled up on my living room sofa. Half an hour before Marcus was coming to pick me up, I headed back to my bedroom and stared at my wardrobe, wondering what on earth I was going to wear. I missed the girls. They were perfect when it came to choosing outfits.

 _Wear red._ Zed's voice caught me off guard.

 _Are you listening to my thoughts?_

 _Of course not._

 _Whatever._ I looked at the red skater dress in my wardrobe with the 3/4 sleeves. It was pretty and girly and classy. I pulled it on and looked in the mirror. It would do perfectly with a pair of tights.

 _Where are you going?_

 _Out for lunch._

 _With your boyfriend?_ The word still sounded bitter and I rolled my eyes.

 _Jealous?_

 _Yes._

He could be jealous all he wanted. I didn't care. I smoothed down my dress and ran a hand through my curled hair. Should I wear it up or down? I applied some natural make-up and slipped my feet into my black leather pumps, deciding to have a half-updo. I pinned back the front curls and secured them at the back of my head with a dimante hairclip just as the doorbell rang. It would do fine. I slipped on my black pea coat and grabbed my handbag, making sure to put my keys in it.

'Hello beautiful.' Marcus greeted me with a peck when I opened the door to him. 'I like the red, you should wear it more often.'

I blushed, thinking Zed was responsible for that compliment. 'Thank you. Shall we go?'

Marcus' house looked different on a rainy October day and I couldn't help but think that it almost looked haunted as we pulled up in his Audi R8. He parked the car and climbed out, opening his umbrella and moving round to open the door for me. He sheltered me with his umbrella and wrapped his arm around my shoulder, leading me up the steps and into the house I'd been to many times before, but only when his parents were not there.

His butler opened the door for us and took each of our coats and I enjoyed the warm feeling of the house. We walked along the runner, hand-in-hand, as Marcus led me to the reception room I knew his mother and father were waiting in. We stepped inside and the familiar room with the large bookshelves full of old books, comfy old armchairs and sofas and the warm lit fireplace looked different to me somehow. Lady Clarence and her husband, Lord Sebastien, both stood in greeting, Clarence curtsying and Sebastien bowing.

'Wonderful to meet you, your highness.' Sebastien said. 'I've heard a lot about you.'

'And I, you.' I replied, formally. Was it always supposed to be this formal when you met your boyfriend's parents? I somehow doubted it. 'But please call me Sky.' I said, trying to make the situation more relaxed.

'Of course, take a seat.' Sebastien signalled to the vintage sofa and I sat down, Marcus beside me.

'Can I get you a tea, your highness?' The lady I recognised as the housekeeper asked with a curtsy.

'Yes please.' I smiled, glad to be next to the fire. It was a cold day.

'Marcus tells us you're quite the pianist.' Clarence said as her son's fingers interlocked with mine. 'Maybe you'll treat us later.'

'Sky gets nervous around an audience.' Marcus replied on my behalf and I shot him a thankful smile as he squeezed my hand.

I didn't relax until we'd had dinner and Marcus led me to the music room, away from his parents. I looked around in awe at the beautiful room I'd never been to before with its paintings on the walls, patterned ceiling and vintage instruments as well as modern. There was a grand piano, a violin, a guitar and an electric guitar in the room, as well as a velvet, comfy-looking sofa. I sank into the sofa but Marcus beckonned me over to the piano, patting the stool beside him. I sat down, enjoying the warmth radiating off of his skin in the cold house and he pressed his lips to my forehead in a gentle kiss.

'So I couldn't find the sheet music to that song you liked but I have an alternative.' He gave me a shy smile and I could tell he was nervous. 'I hope you like it.'

'You're going to sing to me?' I asked, surprised.

He nodded. 'If you'll let me.'

'Of course.'

His hands ran along the keys as he played the chords and the introduction and then he sucked a deep breath before singing, _'I finally asked you to dance_

 _On the last slow song_

 _Beneath that moon that was really a disco ball.'_

I figured out what the song was and I smiled, singing along, _'I can still feel my head on your shoulder_

 _And hoping that song would never be over.'_

He beamed as he looked at me and our voices joined together to create a wonderful melody, which surprised me. _'I haven't seen you in ages_

 _Sometimes I find myself_

 _Wondering where you are_

 _For me you'll always be 18_

 _And beautiful and dancin' away with my heart.'_

There was something about Marcus' voice when he sang that made me want to melt. It wasn't poppy or husky, but almost soothing and it was soft and easy to listen to, a bit like Michael Buble was. I thought of Zed's husky voice when he sang, a kind of voice that made girls go hysterical and get hormonal, but in a different way to Marcus'. He didn't put on a cocky, sexy front. His voice was just warm and lovely to listen to, a voice that was more melt-worthy than throw-your-knickers-at-the-stage.

'I can't believe you learnt that song for me.' I said to him when he finished playing and he gave me another shy smile.

'Did I do okay?' He asked as his eyes sparkled.

I pressed my lips gently to his before whispering, 'you did perfect.'

'Oh my god, I can't believe he sang to you! That's the cutest thing ever!' Lucy squealed down the phone to me that evening.

I smiled at the memory as I laid down on the goosefeather pillows on my bed. 'It is.' I agreed.

She sighed on the other end of the phone. 'You're so lucky, Sky. Mark is crazy about you and you two are so adorable.'

'Apparently the press agrees.' I looked at the Sugar Magazine article about Marcus and I that had appeared on my Facebook timeline. I clicked on the link. 'How are you and Nate?'

'Same old.' She sounded a little frustrated. 'I wish I knew how he felt, Sky.'

'Oh, Lu.' I felt bad for her, I really did. 'He's coming to my Halloween party, right?'

'Oh, about that.' She paused for a moment and I could hear her typing on her laptop. 'Nate asked if you wanted a live performance at your party. I know you've got a DJ but a band might be cool too and I told Nate I'd ask you...'

I laughed. 'Didn't they just get signed? Why on earth does Nate's band want to perform at a silly little house party?'

'Because it's _your_ house party. Everyone is talking about it on Facebook incase you didn't realise. It's _your_ party in a _Royal_ apartment and the heir to the throne is going to be there. There's a lot of hype. It's good coverage for the band, especially with Royals and other guests with a lot of money there. It would help them with private bookings, although they're not expecting you to pay them. It's a favour really.'

'You're waffling.' I laughed, glancing at the photo of Marcus and I leaving a restaurant earlier that week, which had appeared on the screen with the article.

'Sorry.'

'But tell Nate yes, it'll be cool as long as they come early and set themselves up at seven, maybe?'

'Awesome!' She said, sounding pleased.

'And tell him he owes you a date in response.'

'I'm not so sure about that.' She sounded nervous. 'Look, I've got to go. I'll see you Friday.'

'See you, bye.' I hung up the phone and looked at the photo of us. Luckily I'd worn a nice dress and my hair looked good. We were smiling, genuinely, so it was a nice photo. I looked at the headline and decided I'd read the article.

 _Match-made in Kensington?_

 _Her Royal Highness Princess Sky was spotted in another fabulous outfit on a dinner date with the gorgeous Lord Marcus of Addington on Wednesday evening. We are still yet to find out if they're officially dating or just very good friends, but it's safe to say that they make a lovely couple and we are very jealous! Relationship goals, anyone? I hope we have an answer soon, we've waited long enough for one! #Skarcus or #Marky?_

I laughed. They'd find out soon enough.

'You know, it's not too late to back out.' I said to Sally and Simon as we arrived at the palace the following day, ready for dinner. Simon had worn a suit and Sally had worn an expensive dress I'd never seen before. I wore the light blue lace dress I'd worn for my piano performance a few weeks back. For a girl that never wore dresses, it was quickly becoming one of my favourite items of clothing.

'Why would we back out?' Simon asked with a raised eyebrow.

'And I'm sure it's rude if we decline an invite just ten minutes before we're expected.' Sally added.

I wiped my clammy hands on my coat. 'Is it a bit soon? To meet my biological father? I mean, I don't want it to change anything between us.'

'It won't change anything.' Sally squeezed my arm, affectionately. 'You're still our daughter, whatever happens Sky. A fancy apartment, a Royal father and a new title isn't going to change that.'

'Is it weird? Finding out that your daughter is the daughter of the King of England?'

'Of course it's weird. It's like some crazy fiction novel.' Simon chuckled. 'But it's your life and we want to be a part of it. Although I'm not sure I'm happy about all that time you're spending alone at the apartment. Especially with that boy of yours... what's his name?'

'Mark.'

'Yes, that's is, Marcus.'

'He's harmless. He's lovely.' I told them with a smile as Wilfred opened the door for us.

'He might be lovely but he's still an eighteen-year-old boy and you're only sixteen.'

'You're right,' I said, looking at Simon as he got out of the car.'Nothing has changed.'

Dinner went surprisingly well. Sally and Simon told my father all about how they'd found me, which broke his heart, but he was grateful for their kindness and for them raising me. They spoke with the King about art, whilst the Queen remained quiet, and my brother spoke to them about their gallery and funding for art centres for children and aspiring artists. It was a relaxed dinner and I felt comfortable until Nina took me to office for a chat. She pulled up the article about Marcus and I that I'd read the day before and I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.

'Are you and Lord Marcus an item?' She quizzed, her face serious.

'Yes...' I replied with uncertainty. 'Is that a problem?'

Her serious face turned into a smile. 'Wonderful news! I couldn't think of a better match for a princess. His family are noble so that makes things a lot simpler and it's very good publicity. Nice work.'

'Nice work?' I frowned. 'I'm not dating him because his family are noble.'

'Okay.' She nodded. 'Then it's a win-win situation. I've managed to get you tickets for the premiere of the new James Bond film on Wednesday evening and I'd like you to take Marcus as your date. The press are dying to hear about the new princess' personal life and they'll love it if you and Marcus attend together.'

'Erm okay.' I said, unsure of what else to say.

'I'll phone him first thing in the morning and I'll get you a dress sorted. Everyone will want Princess Sky wearing their designs.'

Everyone just wanted to be on my side, so it seemed. And I was pretty sure it was only because I was a princess.

Zed spoke to me that night as I got myself ready for bed in my apartment. _So I hear I'm rocking your living room on Friday night! I hope you've got soundproofing._

 _I'm sure I have._ I replied, not feeling very enthusiastic. All I could think of was my title and how that seemed to be changing everyone's opinion of me. It wasn't going to change anytime soon either. I was attending three events over the next few days as Princess Sky, not as Sky.

 _What's going on?_

Did I tell him? I hesitated, but then I thought, who could I tell anyway? Marcus had grown-up being noble, grown-up with a title and with money and with a crown prince for a best friend. _I'm just not sure I'm cut out for this princess stuff. Everyone wants to be friends with a princess, not with me. They don't know the real Sky._

 _I want to know the real Sky. If you let me._


	8. Baby, you'll be famous

The next few days seemed to be a blur. I attended the events with my brother as expected on the Tuesday and Wednesday morning, cutting ribbons, greeting people and posing for pictures with my brother. We were all over the web and on the front page of papers, but, as normal, not every comment was nice. Some were horrible and I had to listen to Phillip's advice when he told me I was better off not reading them. After a quick lunch on Wednesday, a hairdresser and a make-up artist turned up at my door to prep me for the premiere of the new James Bond film. My eyebrows were waxed again (ouch) and so were my legs. Then my hair was put into curlers and I was given a soothing facial whilst my nails were done. I glanced down at them in surprise; a french manicure with a little sparkle. It had made me wonder what my dress was like.

My dress was delivered by the designer herself, a girl new to the business who looked pretty nervous around me. She tucked the loose strands of red hair that had fallen out of her bun behind her ears when I answered the door to her, having just had my hair and make-up finished. My make-up was silvery yet not over the top and it made my eyes look a steely blue colour. My hair was in a loose bun with curled strands falling around my face, framing it and making it look sophisticated. It had been secured with a sparkly hairclip that I was sure had real diamonds or a similar gemstone in it.

'Your highness, it's lovely to meet you.' The red headed girl curtsied and I held back a sigh.

'Call me Sky, please.' I told her and I realised it was starting to sound like my catchphrase. 'Do come in.' I stepped aside and closed the door behind her.

'I've brought three dresses incase you don't like the one I picked out.' She said nervously. 'Oh where are my manners. I'm Katie.' She held out her hand for me and I shook it.

'It's great to meet you Katie.'

'I really hope you like my designs, the palace said you would but I've only just come out of fashion school so I really understand if you don't.' She rambled, making it clear that she was nervous.

'Will you show me the dress you picked out?' I asked, giving her what I hoped was a reassuring smile. As reassuring as I could give her when I too was nervous. She hung a dressbag onto the outside of my wardrobe and carefully unzipped it, revealing a simple but elegant black dress made from silk. It was a mermaid-fit with a high-neck and draped back. It was beautiful. 'Mind if I try it on?'

She looked surprised. 'Of course.'

I slipped into the bathroom, glad I'd worn seamless underwear that smoothed my bum and almost-flat stomach. It fit perfectly, like it had been designed just for me and it hugged my figure, giving me an hour glass shape. I felt like Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's. It was grown-up but not slutty and I liked that it fell down on the back, finishing just above my bra.

I walked out of the room and spotted Katie biting her finger nails. 'Well I think it suits you perfectly, but maybe I'm biased.' She said, her grey eyes meeting mine.

'It's gorgeous.' I told her, really meaning it and she looked at me in surprise.

'Really?'

'Katie, you're a very talented designer.' I looked at myself in the full-length mirror, admiring the small train as she pulled out a pair of black strappy heels, which weren't too high, and a sparkly silver bag with dangly silver earrings.

'These will go perfect with the dress.' She said to me and I took them from her, slipping my feet into the shoes. I carefully placed the earrings in my ear and picked up my keys, placing them in my clutchbag with some cash and my debit card, just incase.

'I feel like a Bond girl.' I told her and she grinned at me.

'You look like one too.'

I held out my phone for her. 'Would you mind taking a photo? I promised my friends that I'd send them a picture of my outfit.'

'Of course.' She snapped a few full-length pictures, making sure to get my whole outfit in. 'You look great, Sky.' She told me with a sincere smile.

'Can I have you card? I'd love to see your other designs.' I told her and she squealed with excitement, before apologising. 'It's fine.' I laughed. 'I want to do that too.' The doorbell rang, bringing me back to reality and I sucked in a deep breath. Marcus was here. My own James Bond.

'Shall I open it? And then you can walk out and it's more dramatic!' Katie suggested and I found myself agreeing. She walked off to the door and I heard her open it.

'Erm hello?' Marcus sounded unsure.

'Katie Jones.' Katie introduced herself. 'I'm Sky's dress designer.'

'Is she ready?'

I took that as my cue. I slipped my phone into my bag and walked out of my bedroom, onto the landing. Marcus stood in the doorway in a tuxedo, his hair slightly tamer than normal but still just short enough to show off his emerald green eyes. He looked at me, his lips apart, not saying anything and I blushed.

'Does it look bad?' I asked.

'No.' He shook his head. 'You've just left me speechless. You're breathtaking.' He swallowed and the corners of his lips tilted up into a smile that made my heart melt and my knees weak. I remembered we weren't alone and Katie disappeared back into my room, grabbing her belongings before hurrying out of the door after a quick goodbye. 'Am I really going out this evening with you on my arm?' Marcus asked, his pretty eyes sparkling again.

'Only if you want to.' I replied as I reached him and he grabbed my hand, planting a small kiss on it.

'I want nothing more.'

It was all well and good dressing up in a gorgeous silk dress, but I could have frozen to death when I stepped onto the red carpet that evening, following Marcus, Ciara and Dimitri (double security) out of the car. I'd forgotten it was the end of October. It was bloody freezing. My coldness didn't last long, though, because Marcus took my hand and then suddenly everyone realised who we were and our names were being called. It made me want to panic, even though Nina had briefed me for this; I was allowed to say we were in a relationship, that was fine. But part of me wondered if I wanted the public to know about my private life. Or was my private life no longer existant?

'Princess Sky!' A few girls a couple of years younger than me called out to me, taking photos on their phone and, more surprisingly, holding up a copy of the only magazine interview I'd actually done, one month ago. I signed the picture of myself, finding it all rather weird and Marcus and I posed for selfies, giving into his female fanbase. I'd forgotten that people knew who he was. Lucy had said he'd been in the press as one of the most elegible bachelors in England. And he was practically royalty. My boyfriend placed his hand delicately on the small of my back, leading me up the carpet and we were soon faced with the press.

'Your highness!'

'Princess Sky, over here!'

'Lord Marcus!'

We posed for pictures together and Marcus chuckled to himself as questions were thrown his way. He didn't say anything. Instead he stood with me, his arm draped around my waist protectively as he smiled down at me. Then he took me by surprise, planting a delicate kiss on my forehead. It was a sweet gesture, but one he had never done in public before.

'Princess Sky, are you and Lord Marcus an item?' Came the next question from several reporters.

He glanced at me with sparkling green eyes as I smiled up at him. All it took was a simple 'yes' but the words just wouldn't escape my mouth. His attention turned back to the press and, as relaxed as confirming his full name, he said, 'yes we are. Aren't I the luckiest man in the world to have this beautiful girl on my arm tonight?'

I blushed wildly as more questions came our way but he simply held out his hand for me. I took it, interlocking our fingers and he led me inside.

'Well cat's out of the bag now.' I said to him after the film had finished. It had been good and we'd even managed to score seats right by Daniel Craig. We weren't attending the afterparty, as I was under the legal drinking age, so I was disappointed I wouldn't get to meet the cast properly.

'Sorry.' Marcus apologised as I turned my phone back on.

'Why are you apologising? It's fine that people know.' I gave him a reassuring smile and he kissed my cheek.

'Good because if you don't mind I'd like to make it Facebook official.'

'Do princesses make it Facebook official?' I laughed and he grinned at me.

'I don't know, but there's a first for everything.'

'Well I might also be the only princess who takes selfies.' I held up my phone. 'Come on, squish up.'

'More than happy to oblige.' He cosied up to me and he crossed his eyes. I looked at the photo and rolled my eyes.

'Really?'

'I'll do a proper one now, I promise.' He laughed and he smiled as I took another selfie. His Facebook notification buzzed and he glanced down at his phone, seeing I'd uploaded the two pictures as well as the picture of myself all dolled up. 'Hey!' He nudged me, playfully, on seeing the photo of his beautiful green eyes crossed. He looked ridiculous.

'You're the one that made the silly face. Maybe that will be the one I post to Instagram and Twitter when I get home.

'Hmmm.'

Marcus dropped me off at my apartment and gave me a kiss goodnight before we went our separate ways. I sighed as I laid across my bed. I didn't want to take off the dress or the shoes. The night had been wonderful. Perfect. Magical. And now the whole world knew we were an item. I swallowed, typing in our names into Google. We'd already made the news with our updated Relationship Status. My phone buzzed and I looked at the Instagram notification, opening it up. Marcus had tagged me in a photo of the two of us on the red carpet. The picture was from the waist up and he was kissing my forehead. It was a lovely photo, one that made me feel fuzzy and warm inside. Then I saw the caption.

 _I might be a little biased but here's me with HRHPrincessSky, the most beautiful girl in the world._

I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

'Have you seen the papers?' Lucy asked on the phone the following morning as I ate my breakfast.

'No.' I replied with a mouthful. I wasn't worried about being ladylike around my friends. They were used to it by now. The doorbell rang and I padded upstairs to get it.

'You're everywhere. In all the gossip magazines _and_ the tabloids. You're even featured as a top story on Star News.' She told me.

I opened the front door to the postman and signed for my package. 'My costume is here.' I told her, closing the door as the postman walked away, escorted by security.

'Are you listening to what I'm saying at all? You're like world famous. I'd bet paparazzi are even camping outside right now.'

'I'm not sure I want to check.' I told her. I hung my costume up on my wardrobe door. I glanced at the clock on the bedside table. 'Eugh, Nina will be here in a minute, so I'll see you tomorrow?'

'Ten AM sharp so make sure you're up. We have a lot of decorating to do.'

Nina turned up right on time, with her iPad and her own green tea bags. She made herself a cup, turning down my offer and set herself up at the dining room table. She pulled out a few tabloids and I groaned. I was on the front cover of every one. Lucy had been right. There were photos of Marcus and I posing for selfies with the general public, photos of us walking hand-in-hand up the red carpet, the forehead kiss and a few posed pictures of us. My outfit had been complimented and most of the news articles contained Marcus' quote and weren't negative. But then there were the gossip columns, the one that referred to me as a 'bastard.' Historically, they'd be correct. Did I have the right to be a princess when my mother hadn't been the Queen? She'd not been a duchess or a lady either.

'Your father isn't happy about these ones.' She signalled to the negative gossip magazines. 'They're very unfair and very judgemental, but unfortunately some people don't agree with you being a princess.'

'I'm not sure I do either.' I sighed and she frowned at me, before continuing.

'His solicitor is going to contact them today and he is going to release a statement as personal attacks on you are unfair.' She waited for me to say something, but I didn't so she continued. 'Most members of the public and press, however, are very interested to find out more about you. They haven't really commented on the events you've been to over the past few days as they knew they were scheduled and organised by the palace. They want to see more of _you_. Going out with a Lord has helped of course, but are there any interests of yours worth pursuing?'

'I don't know.' I shrugged.

'You like horses, right? Well what about getting involved with a riding centre or something? That would be beneficial.'

I suddenly remembered the riding centre not far from school that I'd passed many times in the car before. 'There's a riding centre for children with disabilities not far from school. I actually wanted to pop in and see what they're doing for those children. Everyone deserves the chance to ride.'

Her lips turned up into a smile. 'Wanting to make a difference. Now that sounds a lot more like a princess.'

We went through my schedule for the next few weeks and I was thankful that it was mostly free as it meant I could keep my schoolwork up to date and then I could volunteer at the riding centre. I called them and organised a visit with them Monday after school, something else to check off my list and Nina gave me details of interviews with two teen magazines, who were interested in interviewing me. She told me it would be good publicity and show the public what I was like. We'd see.

After I'd cooked myself an easy dinner, I was surprised to hear security on the apartment telecom.

'Your highness, there's a gentleman here to see you.'

'Marcus?' I asked. He normally was let straight in. They knew him well enough to do so.

'No a bit more... rugged. He says he's Zed Benedict and apparently you're in music class together at school.'

I raised an eyebrow. _What are you doing here?_

 _Please let me in, I've been on the smelly underground and now it's chucking it down with rain._

'Let him in.' I told security and I hung up the phone. It was lucky I hadn't yet changed into my pyjamas, even though they were calling me. I slipped my feet into my warm slippers and pulled a jumper over my vest top, feeling cold, suddenly. I'd let him dry off and then I'd send him off. That was a good plan, wasn't it? My doorbell rang and I walked over, answering it. Zed stood there in a hoodie and jeans, completely soaking wet. 'Did you not think to wear a coat?' I asked him.

He shrugged. 'It didn't look like it was going to rain.'

I squinted at the darkness out of my window. 'It's dark, how does it not look like rain?' He stood awkwardly in the doorway and I stepped aside. 'Come in.'

'This place looks pretty sweet.' He grinned, cockily, putting his rucksack down. 'Do I get a tour?' He shrugged out of his soaked-through hoodie and I took it off him, walking down the corridor to the room that contained my washing machine and tumble dryer.

'Okay.'

He looked around, nosily as I showed them the apartment and he admired the furniture or pictures on the walls on the way round, stopping to look at the most recent photoframe I'd put up, filled with photos of Sally, Simon and I. He looked on the mantelpiece, squinting at the frame containing a photo of me with the girls, and then one of me and Phillip, and then a photo of me with Marcus. 'This your boyfriend?'

'You know it is.' I rolled my eyes. 'It's not like you can miss it.'

'The press love you at the moment, don't they?'

'Some more than others.' I frowned. 'I am the bastard daughter of the king, of course.'

'Wait, are we in Game of Thrones or the Middle Ages or something? Seriously, who still uses that word?'

'Some people, apparently.' I sighed as we reached the kitchen. 'Tea?'

'I like something a little stronger.'

I resisted rolling my eyes again. 'Seriously, we're sixteen.'

'Does this mean there's no alcohol at your party tomorrow?'

'I'll get in trouble.'

'No one has to know. It's your own apartment and the police are hardly going to turn up, are they? They'd have to get past the crazy security at the gate.' He leaned against the kitchen counter and I could see his six-pack through his soaking wet t-shirt. I swallowed and glanced away as I felt heat rushing to my cheeks. He glanced over at the papers on the table, all with me on the front cover. 'Is this what you're worried about? The press?'

I shrugged. 'A lot of people are watching me at the moment. I need to be careful.'

'You do, yes.' He yawned and stretched. 'You're in danger of becoming a bore.'

I stopped making the cups of tea and glared at him. 'You turn up here, interrupting my plans and call me a _bore_?'

'Your plans?' He smirked. 'You didn't have any. Except maybe a night of Netflix.'

How did he know? I frowned. 'Either sort out your manners or get out. You're irritating as hell.'

'That's not very princess-like.' His grin was cocky and stupidly sexy at the same time.

'I can't always be princess-like. It's my day off.'

'I don't think you get days off.' He pointed out.

My eyebrows hurt from frowning as I looked at him. 'You're right, I don't, so why am I wasting valuable time getting annoyed with you? Get out.'

'You're asking me to leave?' He looked surprised and I had no idea why.

'No, I'm telling you.'

'Look I'm sorry for whatever I've just done or said that's offended you...' He looked puzzled and I surpressed a sigh.

'Whatever you've _just_ done? Do you need a list of all of the offensive things you've done?'

'I'm not really a people person.'

'Doesn't seem that way when you're with Savannah or one of her posse. In fact, it seems like you are a _very_ peopley person.'

'Sorry, I'm used to girls throwing themselves at me, not being blunt with me.' The cocky smile was back.

'Your head is so damn far up your arse!'

He shrugged. 'I get a lot of compliments.'

'Not from me you won't.'

He reached for the cup of tea but it fell to the floor between us. 'Shit, a few seconds too late.'

I looked up at him, curiously. 'You knew that was going to happen?' He nodded and it sank in as I grabbed a tea towel. 'Oh, right, your ability.' I mopped up the floor and he bent down in front of me, picking up the broken crockery.

'Yeah, sometimes it's a bit delayed and doesn't work great.' He frowned. He winced as the broken china cut his finger and it started to bleed.

'Oh god.' I grabbed his hand, leading him to the sink and I held his finger under the tap as the blood came out quicker. I could feel his breath on my ear and I stopped myself from shivering. We were too close. 'Hold it under the tap a minute and I'll get a dressing.' I grabbed a dressing from the bathroom, glancing at myself in the mirror as I did it. My cheeks were flushed. Brilliant. I walked back to the kitchen and turned off the tap, applying pressure to his finger as I held his finger, calloused from playing guitar. I placed the dressing on it, sticking it in place and I glanced up at Zed to see he was watching me, an intense expression on his face. It made me nervous. 'I hope that doesn't affect your guitar playing tomorrow.'

'It won't.' He said, his eyes not leaving mine. I moved back to cleaning up the mess on the floor, desperate to distract myself. 'Are you going to give everyone a performance tomorrow?' I laughed and I glanced up to see he was serious.

'Of course not.'

'Why not? You have a lovely voice.'

'Wow, insults and now a compliment. Are you feeling okay? Did you lose too much blood?' I teased, throwing the broken crockery into the bin.

He rolled his eyes. 'You, Sky Bright, are a hard girl to please.'

The doorbell woke me up the following day and I cursed when I realised I was still in my clothes the night before. I cursed a second time when I realised that Zed Benedict was asleep on my cream-coloured sofa next to the bed. We must have fallen asleep talking. Brilliant. I jumped up and opened the door, where Lucy was stood, waiting.

'Hey.' She looked puzzled. 'Are you feeling alright? You don't look great.'

Honest as always. 'Erm, I've just woken up.' I admitted, feeling the need to be honest too.

She sighed. 'We've got work to do, there isn't time to sleep in!' Her eyes widened as she looked over my shoulder and I cursed in my head. I turned to see Zed stood there looking sleepy but sexy, stretching so that you could see the lower part of his stomach. My friend raised an eyebrow at me.

'I'd better go.' Zed said. 'I'll see you later.' And then he left, leaving us to it.

'Explain.' My roommate said to me as soon as the door closed behind me.

'Fine, just let me shower first.'

'I can't believe Zed Benedict stayed at your house overnight.' Lucy said as we rearranged the furniture in the living room, pushing it against the walls to allow more room. She draped fluffy black throws over the light-coloured furniture, tucking it place to protect it.

'We fell asleep. I still can't stand him.' I told her as I draped fake cobwebs off of the mantelpiece and in the fireplace.

'He's gorgeous and girls love him.'

'Other girls maybe, but he's an ass and asses aren't my type.' I said, bluntly. I grabbed a fake spider and taped it in place as the doorbell rang. 'Please don't tell Marcus, I don't want to worry him.'

'I promise.' She gave me a reassuring smile and I headed out onto the landing. I opened the door to see Chadwick stood with two delivery guys and an iron throne.

I looked at it in confusion as my brother appeared, carrying shopping bags. 'Oh great, it's here!' He said, cheerily and I looked at him in surprise. 'Well you need an Iron Throne to go with your outfit.' He said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

I blinked. 'It's not real, is it?'

'Of course not, they need that to film the next season, so I got hold of a replica for the evening sis. It's good being royalty sometimes.'

'Where would you like it, your highness?' Chadwick asked me.

'Maybe on the landing, as the first thing the guests see when they enter?' Phillip suggested, pushing past me, formality gone now that we knew each other better.

I stepped aside and allowed the iron throne to be placed where Phillip directed. Lucy appeared in the hallway and squealed. 'Oh my god! The iron throne! You didn't tell me you were ordering one!'

'It wasn't me.' I nodded and my brother who looked pleased with himself. 'Is this you getting ready for being king? Are you going to sit on the throne all evening?'

'Doesn't work with my costume.' He shrugged, setting down his bags. 'Now come on, I'm thinking a Game of Thrones-esque living room and then spooky stuff everywhere else. We've got work to do.'

Giving the apartment a makeover took most of the day and I was already dreading getting it back to normal afterwards. The living room had become a haunted house including a DJ deck. The library room downstairs had become a second haunted house, except with an area marked out as a 'stage' for Zed and Nate's band, _Seven Minutes in Heaven_. The kitchen was stocked with party food, thanks to a caterer, and even some wine and beer, thanks (or not) to Phillip. I'd insisted no one would be drinking but he'd said we had a good security team and any nonsense, people would be out. Right.

Lucy emerged from the bathroom wearing a blue dress with patterned bodice and a golden rose in the middle; a perfect replica of a costume worn by Margaery Tyrell in Game of Thrones. She'd even styled her hair the same way, like a pro. She could have easily been Natalie Dormer. Lucy's costume had been inspired by my plan to be a Game of Thrones Queen. Or Khaleesi. I wore Daenerys' Qarth dress, the light blue one with plunging neckline (enough to show a little cleavage without too much), gold detailing on the shoulders and a golden belt with beads around the waist. My hair was in loose curls with sections pulled back into braids, just as she had done. I felt like a cosplay dream.

'You look great!' I told my friend and she smiled across at me.

'So do you, Khaleesi.'

'Now that's a title I'd prefer.' I told her as I slipped my shoes on. 'None of this princess and your highness business. Khaleesi, sure I'd respond to that.' I glanced at my cleavage. 'It's not too low is it?'

'No, it's classy but sexy and you've not broken any rules. It's legs or boobs. Your legs are covered so you're fine.' She gave me a cheeky grin and I laughed.

The doorbell rang and I glanced at the clock. The DJ was coming early to set up, as were _Seven Minutes in Heaven._ I knew which arrival I'd prefer. I swallowed. It was going to be an eventful night. I could feel it already.


	9. Things go bump in the night

'Well don't you look every part a Queen?' Zed said as I walked into the library, where he and the rest of _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ were setting up their equipment with help from Lucy. In a suit with unbuttoned shirt to reveal the superman 'S' and thick-rimmed geeky glasses, he made a hot Clark Kent. There was no denying it. He gave me his familiar cocky grin as he adjusted his mic stand and I smoothed down my dress, nervously. 'Love the Iron Throne upstairs by the way. It'll be a hit.'

'It was my brother's idea.' I replied as I watched a crate of wine be rolled past. Why had Phillip decided alcohol was a good idea? I was already dreading it. Although there were going to be eight security guards in attendance, so that was something, wasn't it? Surely it meant everything would be fine?

The drummer, Zack, walked out of the room and Nate and Lucy followed leaving me with Zed whilst he checked his electric guitar was tuned. 'Fancy warming up with me?' He said as he plucked a few strings.

'I don't sing.' I said, my hands feeling clammy at the thought.

'Now we both know that isn't true, don't we?' He raised his eyebrows. 'What a waste of a good voice.' He plucked a few strings of his guitar and I glanced at him, surprised, as he started to sing. ' _It feels like the perfect night to dress up like hipsters and make fun of our exes, uh uh uh uh, it feels like the perfect night for breakfast at midnight, to fall in love with strangers, uh uh uh uh.'_ He nudged the microphone my way and I shook my head, causing him to stop playing and sigh. 'I thought you liked Taylor Swift?'

'I do, but you're not going to get me singing.'

'Mmhm.' His eyes skimmed over my outfit before looking up to meet my eyes. 'We'll see.'

The guests started to arrive around eight and they gave their names at the security gate outside before filing into the building and passing another security guard at my door. I stood on the landing for a while, next to the Iron Throne I'd already been photographed on, beside Lucy. Zoe turned up dressed as an adorable Mulan, fulfilling her Disney fantasies and Tina was dressed as Merida, in a tight velvet green dress, her hair backcombed and wild. We all looked awesome. Guests greeted us and then moved towards downstairs, ready to grab food or grab a decent space for the 8.30 _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ performance.

'Good evening Khaleesi!' My brother greeted me dramatically and I smiled across at him in his pirate costume. Some of the girls from my school were definitely going to be swooning over him, including Tina. I glanced behind him and spotted Marcus and I broke out into probably the most unattractive grin of all time because he'd dressed up as Flynn Rider. His hair was unkempt but gorgeous as usual and he wore the boots, trousers, jacket and even had the satchel. His usually clean-shaven look had been replaced with some stubble, adding to the look.

'Hello.' Marcus greeted me with a gentle kiss on the cheek. 'You look fantastic.'

'So do you!' I gently stroked his jawline, which showed that he had not shaved the last two days. 'I can't believe you're dressed as Flynn Rider.'

'I hoped it would make you smile.' His hand caressed my arm. 'You make a very good Targaryen.'

'Thank you.' I blushed. I glanced over at the Iron Throne, which guests were posing for pictures on. Then I spotted Savannah entering the room, dressed as catwoman, complete with large amounts of cleavage on show in her catsuit.

'Sky, darling!' She airkissed each side of my face and I resisted rolling my eyes. I'd invited everyone in our year at school out of politeness. Otherwise, she'd never have made it through the door. 'What are you supposed to be?'

I glanced at her in disbelief. 'You don't watch Game of Thrones?'

'Oh, of course not!' She laughed, shaking her head. 'I'm more of a Made in Chelsea girl.' I wasn't surprised, but I decided not to say anything. 'What on earth is that bizarre-looking chair in the corner?'

'The Iron Throne.' Phillip piped up and she turned to face him, fluttering her eyelashes.

She curtsied, looking silly as she wasn't wearing a dress.' Prince Phillip, how wonderful to see you.'

'And you.' My brother replied, politely.

'It's showtime!' Lucy called out. 'Come on, let's go downstairs.'

Everyone was buzzing about _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ before they'd even performed. People were talking about their record deal and how they were going to be famous and make it as rockstars. There was even a group of female groupies at the front of the makeshift stage, huddled around and squealing with excitement as the band got ready to start their set. I laughed when I realised Lucy was a groupie, too. She gawped at Nate in his Finnick Odair costume, which showed off his chest muscles. I nudged her and she didn't respond, making Tina and I giggle. She was besotted.

'Hello ladies and dudes!' Zed said into the microphone, his personality radiating through his stage persona. 'We are _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ , although you already knew that!' Cue hysterical screaming. 'We're going to play some covers and our own stuff too so please sing along if you know the words and we want to see loads of dancing.' He counted them in and then the drums, guitar and bass were being played, filling the apartment.

 _'Simmer down, simmer down_

 _They say we're too young now to amount to anything else_

 _But look around_

 _We work too damn hard for this just to give it up now_

 _If you don't swim, you'll drown_

 _But don't move, honey_

 _You look so perfect standing there_

 _In my American Apparel underwear_

 _And I know now, that I'm so down_

 _Your lipstick stain is a work of art_

 _I got your name tattooed in an arrow heart_

 _And I know now, that I'm so down (hey!)'_

The atmosphere was like being at a boyband concert and I surpressed giggling at Marcus and Phillip's bored expressions. It wasn't their kind of music. In fact, for most guys in the room, it wasn't their kind of thing. The girls were going wild and I wondered if I should have situated security by the stage to hold them back. A few guys had moved forward, taking advantage of the excited females, but most just stood, nodding to be polite. I understood why the girls were going wild. I hadn't at first, not until the last chorus.

 _'You look so perfect standing there_

 _In my American Apparel underwear.'_

Zed's eyes locked on mine, looking deep into my soul as he sang, making me blush.

 _'And I know now, that I'm so down_

 _Your lipstick stain is a work of art_

 _I got your name tattooed in an arrow heart_

 _And I know now, that I'm so down.'_

I blinked, looking away from his intense stare as the song ended. I could feel the heat on my cheeks and it made me feel nervous.

'Fancy a drink?' Marcus whispered into my ear, catching me off guard.

I turned to face him, hoping my feelings weren't clear. 'Yes please.' He squeezed my hand and followed my brother off to the kitchen.

'Okay the next song I'm going to need some help with.' Zed was saying into the microphone and the female audience members screamed almost deafening screams. 'Sky? Up you come.'

My heart sank and my stomach churned as a few people glanced my way. What a douche. 'No.' I replied.

'Well then folks, I'm afraid the show can't go on.' Cue groans. 'Not until Sky comes on up here.'

That was when the chanting started. People started chanting my name and gradually more and more people joined in to the chanting and the beat of Zack's drum. I groaned as Tina shoved me in the direction of the stage. I didn't want to do this. I wanted to get out. But everyone was watching me and I knew they'd think less of me if I ran and hid in my bedroom like I wanted to.

 _God you're annoying._ I said in my head to Zed and he smirked at me.

 _Are you coming on up here or are you going to disappoint all of your party guests?_

 _I'm pretty sure that's emotional blackmail._ I frowned and walked slowly to the front as my heart felt like it was in my throat. It was an unpleasant feeling and I worried I was going to throw up. Zed held his hand out to me as I reached the stage but I didn't take it. I carefully stepped up onto the small platform. _Now what?_ I said to him and he grinned, pleased he'd got his own way. I wasn't.

'What do you say Sky sings a song with us?' Zed asked the audience and they cheered in response, apart from a few disappointed fangirls who would have preferred to sing with him. I'd have preferred them singing with him too. Zed adjusted the microphone so that I could reach it and then he whispered, 'ready?'

'As I'll ever be.' I replied, bitterly.

He chuckled and counted the band in, playing the intro of '22' by Taylor Swift as he had done earlier that evening. _'It feels like a perfect night to dress up like hipsters_

 _And make fun of our exes, uh uh, uh uh._

 _It feels like a perfect night for breakfast at midnight_

 _To fall in love with strangers, uh uh, uh uh.'_

He nudged me and I closed my eyes as I sang, not wanting to see any reactions and praying that there would be a powercut and it would all be over. _'Yeah,_

 _We're happy, free, confused, and lonely at the same time_

 _It's miserable and magical._

 _Oh, yeah_

 _Tonight's the night when we forget about the deadlines_

 _It's time.'_

Zed joined me for the chorus, his husky rock-voice contrasting with mine but without sounding awful. In fact, it sounded pretty good. _'I don't know about you_

 _But I'm feeling 22_

 _Everything will be alright_

 _If you keep me next to you_

 _You don't know about me_

 _But I'll bet you want to_

 _Everything will be alright_

 _If we just keep dancing like we're_

 _22, ooh-ooh_

 _22, ooh-ooh.'_

The crowd had spent the song singing and dancing along and I'd relaxed a little, able to actually look at them and see their reactions. My friends were cheering me on, as was Phillip, but I felt bad for Marcus. He gave me a small smile from the back of the room, a small smile I could see through. It wasn't a real smile. It made my heart ache and it nearly made me mess up the last chorus. The song ended and the crowd cheered, but I jumped offstage without acknowledging Zed and I headed back through the crowd to my boyfriend.

'Great performance.' Marcus said to me, hurt in his eyes.

I reached for his hand and intertwined our fingers. 'It was alright, but I liked singing with you more.' I told him, honestly. It was easier singing with him because it had been spontaneous and relaxed, there had been no pressure and I hadn't been 'shown off' like a possession. I stepped up onto my tiptoes and kissed him softly on the lips, his smile almost returning.

'Can we hang out tomorrow?' He asked me, his deep green eyes looking into my blue pools. 'Just the two of us?'

I smiled. 'Of course.'

An hour later and we'd moved upstairs to the living room, where the DJ Phillip had hired was blasting tunes and people were dancing around and singing along to the music together whilst the alcohol flowed. People took selfies and I'd posed for a few. Tina was chatting away to my brother, Zoe was dancing with some guy from her science class and Lucy was talking to Yves Benedict.

'Sky, can I have a sec?' I glanced up in surprise at Nate stood in front of me. Marcus squeezed my hand and disappeared to talk to Walter and the other friends of his and my brother's that had been invited.

'What's up?' I asked Nate as we moved to the side of the room, away from gossipers.

'Lucy's been avoiding me and I'm not sure what I've done wrong.' He frowned. 'We were really close and now it's like she can't stand to be around me.'

'I'm sure that's not true.' I told him, knowing it wasn't.

'I thought... I thought...' He looked nervous. 'I thought she liked me back... you know, as more than a friend?'

'She does.' I told him with a smile. It was obvious but it was nice to hear that he genuinely did like her. 'She's just too nervous to make the first move incase you turn her down. I guess you were too nervous too, hmm?'

He nodded, a smile on his face. 'I guess I've got nothing to worry about.'

'Not at all. Unless you break her heart, then you've got a lot to worry about.'

I smiled as Nate walked over to my roommate and best friend and she shifted nervously in front of him as he asked her to dance. She obliged and she glanced my way, a small smile on her face.

'Playing cupid?' Zed's voice startled me and I turned to face him. He handed me a glass of wine, which I took gratefully from him.

'I didn't need to play cupid, they just needed a push in the right direction.' I gave him a small smile and then I sipped the drink, the fruity taste of the red wine trickling down my throat. The alcohol was already well on its way to making me tipsy.

'And that you did.' He sipped at his beer. 'Want to dance?' His cocky smile was evident and he held his hand out for me.

'No.' I told him, simply.

'Sheesh, talk about playing hard to get.'

'Hard to get?' I raised my eyebrows at him. He just kept getting cockier and cockier, if that was even possible. 'In case you didn't realise, I don't want _anything_ to do with you. You're self-centered _and_ I have a boyfriend.'

'But we're supposed to be together, Sky. When are you going to realise that?' He reached for my waist and I walked backwards, bumping into Marcus.

'Are you okay?' He asked me, concern on his face. He glared at Zed, the green of jealousy evident in an aura around him.

'I'm fine.' I lied as he wrapped his arm around my waist, protectively. I placed my wine on the end table next to us. 'Shall we dance?'

'I'd love to.' His eyes sparkled as he smiled at me, love shining from them. He led me away from Zed, placing his hands on my hips as I wrapped mine around his neck.

The alcohol started to kick in more and more as the time passed and I found myself giggling and dancing closer to Marcus than before. I wasn't the only person under the influence, though. Lucy and Nate were locking lips across from us and my brother was dancing with some girl I recognised from school. Then there was Savannah, grinding up against Zed in a most unladylike fashion. If Lady Clarence had been there, she would have been absolutely mortified. Marcus spun me around in a circle and my head spun too. I felt sick. I'd had too much to drink.

'I'll be right back.' I said to Marcus, my stomach churning. He smiled in response as I made my way out of the living room and towards the comfort of my ensuite. I was doing fine, hurrying along, but then I stumbled and fell.

'Woah!' Zed Benedict's muscular arms caught me and helped me to my feet. God damn it. 'Had a little too much?' He asked with his cocky grin. My stomach churned and before I could stop myself, I puked. Over him.

'Oh god.' I groaned, pushing past him. I locked my bedroom door and went into my bathroom, collapsing on the floor and feeling embarassed. Then I puked again. Alcohol was never a good idea.

'How are you feeling?' Lucy asked me the following morning when I finally woke up. I groaned as Tina opened the curtains, letting sunlight into the room. My head hurt. Not too much but more than it should on a Saturday morning. I tried to remember getting into bed, but I couldn't.

'What happened?' I groaned, burying my face in the pillow. I winced as the hairclips that were still in my hair dug into the side of my head.

My friends all glanced at each other, worriedly. 'Do you not remember?' Tina asked. 'You threw up on Zed Benedict. Nice aim by the way.'

'Oh god.' I winced. 'Who else saw?'

'Marcus, though I'm pretty sure he was glad it wasn't him you puked on.' Lucy laughed. 'Oh and Yves and his date, but don't worry, they won't say anything.'

'I've never felt more embarassed.'

'Well at least that's it. Yves came and found us and we got you ready for bed. You fell asleep before the party was even over. Nice work.' Tina gave me a reassuring smile and she passed me a glass of water. I gulped it down. 'How's your head?'

'A little sore, but I think I'll be okay. It's more a case of hurt pride.' I sighed, kicking off the duvet cover. 'I guess we'd better go and tidy the flat.'

'No need.' Zoe smiled. 'It's already been tidied and cleaned. Some people turned up early and started sorting it. There's no evidence of a party left.'

I picked up my phone. I'd been tagged in so many photos. Yes, there was still evidence, clearly. Luckily, the photos that had been uploaded were just loads of selfies and a few of me dancing with Marcus. Then there was the video of me on the stage. I sighed and turned on the television. There was no escaping. There I was. Singing the previous night, dressed as Daenerys Targaryen.

'Oh crap.' I sighed and my friends glanced up at the screen, sitting down on my bed with me whilst I sang my heart out with Zed Benedict, just hours before I'd puked over him.

' _Her Royal Highness Princess Sky celebrated Halloween last night by dressing up as Daenerys Targaryen from HBO's Game of Thrones.'_ Cue Instagram picture of me sat on the Iron Throne. ' _She even had time to perform a cover of Taylor Swift's 22 with Universal's new act, Seven Minutes in Heaven. The Princess has shown herself to be a bit of a Rock princess and it looks like she's just a normal girl. Meanwhile, the petition to have her title taken away due to illegitimacy has over two thousand signatures.'_

My heart ached and tears brimmed in my eyes; there was a petition against me? I went to turn off the television but Lucy stopped me as 'England's top 10 most eligible bachelors' came up as the next news story.

' _This week England's top 10 most eligible bachelors have been revealed and who would be surprised with number one? At the top spot is His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Phillip, heir to the English throne. Also making it into the top ten include One Direction's Harry Styles and Lord Marcus of Addington.'_

'Well that's one bit of good news, huh? You're dating one of England's most eligible bachelors.' Lucy said, trying to see the silver lining on the cloud. 'Speaking of which, haven't you two got a date later?'

'If I've not put him off by puking my guts up.' I sighed. I grabbed my phone and sent him a quick text.

 _I am so embarassed about emptying the contents of my stomach last night. Completely understand if I've sent you running for the hills. xxx_

I opened my underwear drawer and grabbed some fresh clothes just as my phone pinged in response.

 _We've all been there, you've not scared me off! I just hope you're feeling okay now as I'd really like to see you today xxx_

 _I'm feeling much better xxx_

 _Good, I'll be there at 2pm xxx_

I glanced at the clock. How was it already midday and what on earth was I going to wear? I glanced over at my friends who would be leaving shortly. 'I'll feed you in a minute, but first, girls, you've really got to help me choose an outfit for my date this afternoon.'

They decided on my green knee-length skater dress, which had cross-over detailing near the bust to make my waist even smaller. The dress matched Marcus' eyes, which was always a winner, and we'd paired it with black wool tights and my long, black boots and bag. It was pretty and cute and was formal without being too much. My hair was in loose curls and I'd applied natural make-up. The girls had given me the thumbs up before leaving and I waited around by checking the appearance of the apartment. As they had said, there were no signs of the party from the previous night. Furniture had been moved back to how it had been previously and everywhere was clean and tidy. It was like the night before had all been a dream. The doorbell rang and I grabbed my bag and slipped on my black pea coat.

'Hey.' I said to Marcus as I opened the door. In a checked shirt, deep green sweater, smart coat and jeans he looked handsome as always. He smiled a genuine smile when he saw me, his eyes lighting up.

'Hello beautiful.' He said in response. He placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. 'Are you ready to go?'

I nodded. 'Ready when you are.'

Marcus drove us across London in his car, my two members of security following closely on their motorcycles as the Audi drove through the busy London streets. We passed the palace, which was packed with tourists outside taking photographs, and then we drove alongside the River Thames, past the Tower of London. I glanced across at Marcus, wondering where we were going but he wasn't going to budge. He gave me a smile and squeezed my knee as we passed Canary Wharf. We parked in an underground car park near the Royal Docks and Marcus moved around to open my door for me. I climbed out, carefully, and let him intertwine his fingers with mine.

'So this is nice.' I teased, signalling to the car park around us as my security guards climbed off their motorbikes. They followed us from a few metres behind, looking wary. We walked up the stairs to ground level and I realised where we were. The Emirates Air Line was in front of us, the cablecar which I knew travelled over the Thames. I'd never been on it, I'd never even been to Greenwich, but I'd seen it advertised in magazines and on television. I swallowed. Heights were one of my weaknesses.

'I thought it would be nice to kick off our date in style.' Marcus said, squeezing my hand as he glanced down to look at me. I nodded and his smile turned to concern. 'Do you not like heights?'

'I've never really been anywhere particularly high up.' I replied, honestly. 'It's a little daunting.'

He nodded and brought my hand up to his lips, kissing it softly. 'We don't have to if you don't want to, but if you do I'll be right here and holding your hand. The view is spectacular.'

I looked up at him and his kind eyes. 'Okay, let's do this.'

I felt nervous as we climbed into our carriage and the door closed behind us, my security team split into the carriage in front and the carriage behind, watching us with caution. Marcus took my hands in his as the carriage moved out of the station and upwards, into the air. I held my breath as we started towering over buildings and then I gasped at the view ahead of me. The O2 arena came into view, its white dome with yellow spikes sticking out. Canary Wharf and the London Docklands came into view too from across the Thames. Even with a grey sky, it looked beautiful. Marcus grabbed his camera and snapped a few photos before reaching across and kissing me gently on the lips.

He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and I snuggled into him. 'Doing okay?' He asked.

'Yes.' I said, smiling up at him.

The next part of our date involved wearing a gross blue and grey jumpsuit, chunky boots and a harness. We'd been booked in to walk over the O2 arena. I felt nervous as I was clipped in place but my nerves slowly disappeared when we reached the top and took in the view of London as the sun started to set. But then, just when I thought we couldn't have a more breathtaking view, Marcus surprised me with dinner on the 31st floor of the Shard.

'Everything looks so small.' I gasped as we were seated right by the window, clearly the best view in the house. We looked down at St Paul's Cathedral in the darkening London skyline as the lights started to turn on across the city. 'This view it's... breathtaking.'

'Not as much as you.' Marcus said, helping me out of my jacket. I blushed as he sat down beside me and he reached for my hand, gently rubbing the back of it with his thumb. He ordered us both a mocktail and I picked up the menu, trying to act calm when spotting the price. Starters were from £15 and main courses were from £30. I'd never been somewhere were food had been so pricey. Not that it mattered. I had a bank account with almost unlimited money in it. We ordered our food and I sipped my drink as we looked out at the small city below. 'Back to school on Monday then? Are you looking forward to it?'

'Yes and no. It'll be nice being back with the girls and I'm looking forward to music, but it means back to even more studying. What about you? Looking forward to returning to University?'

'Nope. It means less time with you.' His eyes looked sad and I squeezed his hand.

Dinner was delicious but what I wasn't expecting was the heavy rain or the paparazzi that greeted us when we got outside. Marcus tightened his grip on my hand as the cameras flashed and we ran through the rain towards the carpark as our clothes became soaked. We reached the car park and Marcus laughed as we got into his car, both looking a little like drowned rats.

'Well those pictures won't be the most attractive.' He chuckled, brushing wet strands of hair away from my face.

'Never mind.' I smiled at my teeth chattered. I felt pretty damn cold and I was sure my make-up had smudged. Marcus leaned over and kissed me softly, his warmth radiating across to me. I kissed him harder, pulling his head towards me and then he slowly pulled back.

'Let's get you home.'

I should have known Monday wasn't going to be a good day. For one, it was raining so hard that Lucy and I were soaked when we walked into the hall for assembly. Secondly, Sugar Magazine wanted to interview me and photograph me that weekend, which meant I wouldn't be going to stay at Tina's for the weekend with the girls as I'd originally planned. And then, in P.E, things had got worse. We were doing a term of ballroom dance, which meant we'd all been assigned a dance partner.

'Sky, you're with Zed.' Ms Jones, our teacher, announced and I wanted the ground to swallow me whole as Zed shot me a cocky grin.

 _You're not going to puke on me, are you?_

I glared across at him, folding my arms across my chest. The countdown to Christmas and the Snow Ball was going to be long. Long and complicated.


	10. Shut up and dance with me

'And one, two, three, one, two, three,' Ms Jones called out in time to the music as we waltzed across the floor. Somehow it was already the third week of November and it wasn't long until December was going to be on us. I stepped on Zed's toe and he laughed, trying to guide me across the floor.

'Concentrate.' He whispered to me, his breath tickling my ear as his grip on my hand and waist tightened. I frowned at him and he sighed. 'You act like you're dancing with the devil.'

I raised my eyebrows. 'You're not far off.'

'It's called banter. I've been teasing you. Stop making me out to be such a creep.'

'Says the person who turns up at my window at silly times of the night.'

'Maybe I like you in your cute pyjamas, the ones with the polkadots.'

I frowned at him. 'Shut up and dance with me.'

'Sky, Zed, stop talking and you might realise that we have finished that waltz.' Ms Jones tutted, her hands on her hips as she looked across at us. I let go of Zed and stepped backwards, away from him as the partners around us started to line up ready for the school waltz, which we'd all be performing at the Ball.

I took my place opposite Zed and we held up our right hands to each other, before circling without our hands touching. The look on his face was intense and I glanced sideways, where Lucy was dancing happily with Nate. He was taking her on a date that evening and she was buzzing with excitement, although she was currently trying to keep her cool. We paused, opposite each other and circled the other way this time. Then we placed both hands up, almost touching, and circled again. We linked hands so that our arms were crossed in an infinity sign and we took three steps in unison with our classmates. We divided into two separate rows and then Zed twirled me, as rehearsed, before pulling me back towards him, his hand on my waist and his other hand in mine. I lost my footing and stumbled and he caught me, his face a little too close to mine. He froze there for a moment, his dark brown eyes looking right into my soul as his breath tickled my face.

'I think you need some more practise, Sky.' Ms Jones tutted and Zed pulled me upright as she stopped the music. Classmates looked our way and I felt my cheeks reddening. 'You really mustn't lose your footing, dear, it messes up the whole dance.'

I tried not to let her comment get to me. The lesson ended and, as I now did on a Thursday, I changed into my riding gear and headed out to the Riding Centre down the road for my voluntary work, dressed in a fleece and waterproof coat for the November weather.

'Hello, your highness.' Clara, the riding centre owner, greeted me with a hug as normal.

'Please, Clara, I've been coming here for three weeks now. I think calling me Sky is more than okay.'

'Okay, as you insist.' She laughed as I put my bag in the locker.

'What have you got planned for me today?'

'Well Liza is here and she always loves your company.' She said with a friendly smile. Liza was a nine-year-old girl with autism who visited the centre every Thursday after school. She was always bright-eyed and excited and she loved horses, especially her horse Snowdrop. I zipped up my jacket and headed to the indoor paddock, where Liza was riding Snowdrop around.

'Sky!' She called out in excitement when she saw me and I walked over to her as Snowdrop stopped.

'Hey, Liza, how are you?' I asked her as she clapped her hands together in excitement.

'I've had a bad day.' She frowned and her mother looked up from her book, giving her a sympathetic look.

'Oh no, what happened?' I asked her as I stroked Snowdrop's muzzle.

'We're doing our school Christmas play and I didn't get to be Mary and then they changed the songs we were singing and I knew them all and now I don't.' She spoke quickly, a frown etched into her forehead. 'And now I have to be an angel.'

'I bet you're a fabulous angel.' I told her.

'I'd rather be a princess like you.' She pouted.

'It isn't that great being a princess.' I laughed. 'You have to do lots of boring things.'

'But you get to wear nice dresses and dance, don't you?'

'I don't dance very well.' I chuckled. 'My dance teacher told me off today.'

'Stupid dance teacher.' She frowned. 'And my stupid teacher for making me an angel.'

I decided to change the subject. I looked at the jumps that had been laid out in the cold room. 'Have you been jumping today?'

She grinned at me. 'Wanna see?'

'Of course I do.'

She whispered quietly to Snowdrop and then rode off, jumping over the small jumps that had been laid out. I applauded as I watched and her mum came to stand next to me, joining me. 'You're the only person other than me that she'll have a proper conversation with.' Her mother said to me, her voice sad. 'Thank you for spending this time with her, your highness. You really don't have to.'

'I enjoy spending time with Liza.' I told her, a reassuring smile on my face. 'She's a really wonderful girl.'

'She is.' Her mother agreed. 'I just wish that other families were able to come here and see what a difference it makes. But funding is difficult.'

'I know.' I nodded. 'And that's why I'm here. I want to change that. It's going to take some time, but I want to open the centre up to as many children like Liza as I can.'

I jumped out of my skin as I walked back up the driveway after volunteering that evening, the November night drawing in quickly. I glanced up at the cocky Zed Benedict, who was smiling as he watched me in his tight skinny jeans and leather jacket. He looked like Danny from Grease, only hotter. I swatted myself for the thought. 'You shouldn't sneak up on people like that.' I told him. 'It's not very gentlemanly of you.'

'Of course, you're going out with a real gentleman, aren't you? One that buys you flowers and holds open doors and takes you on romantic picnics in the moonlight?' He was smirking, a facial expression that looked good on him and made many girls swoon. I was determined not to be that girl.

'Good girls like that, you know? The romance stuff. It's nice. _Refreshing_.'

'Good girls? I don't think you're _that_ much of a good girl.' His stare was intense and his voice husky. It sent goosebumps across my skin.

I folded my arms across my chest. 'What do you want, Benedict?'

'I want to invite you to my show on Friday night.'

'Your show? This Friday?' I raised an eyebrow.

'Didn't you hear? _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ have their first headline show at The Borderline.' He grinned, clearly pleased with himself. 'Lucy's coming and maybe even Tina and Zoe. I'll give you a backstage pass.'

'I don't know...'

'Oh come on, you owe me. For puking on me on Halloween.' His grin became wicked and I glared at him. 'Plus it'll be really good.'

'Never modest, are you?'

'Would you be if you were me?'

I rolled my eyes. 'I'll talk to the girls.'

'I'll talk later to find out your answer.' He reached out to touch me but then let his hand fall to his side, clearly change your mind. 'I just hope it's a yes.'

'Come on, it'll be fun!' Lucy whined when we were back in our room, Bash from 'Reign' looking yummy and half-naked on our screens. I glanced away from his bare chest and glanced at her as Tina paused Netflix, sadly not on my television crush.

'I'm away this weekend, remember? Family party.' Tina stretched out.

'And I'm Christmas shopping with my mum.' Zoe said, shaking her head. 'I'd cancel, but I've not seen her since half-term.'

Lucy turned to me, hope in her eyes. 'Please, Sky. Nate and I are taking it slow, but it's painfully slow. Maybe he'll give me my first kiss at the gig!'

'In front of screaming, clawing tween girls? I don't think so.' I laughed and she gave me her best puppy dog eyes. 'Would you stop that?'

'Not until you say yes.'

'Maybe I could bring Mark?' I suggested, flicking through my phonebook.

'But then I'll be third wheel until the show is over and you'll be looking at each other with cute, mushy eyes the whole time.' She sighed dramatically and I hit her with a pillow. 'Come on, you'll be the _best_ friend in the whole wide world!'

Zoe and Tina were watching me, waiting for a reaction. Lucy was watching me, intently, hoping I would be the best friend in the whole wide world, whatever that meant. I sighed. I didn't really want to spend my evening watching girls throw themselves (and their panties) at Zed Benedict, but I wanted to be a good friend and I wanted Nate to make things official with Lucy. It had been long enough. 'Fine.' I told her, giving in to her Puss in Boots impression. 'But only if we check out of this place for the weekend and have a girly weekend in my apartment. I'm sick of curfews.'

She pulled me into a suffocating hug. 'A girly weekend and a gig! Eeek! I love you!'

'You're crushing my lungs!'

 _Well?_

Zed's voice stopped my drowsiness and I glanced at the window. _Well, what?_

 _Well do I get to spend the whole evening on Friday looking into your gorgeous eyes?_

 _Does that actually work?_ I rolled my eyes and rolled over in bed so that I wasn't facing Lucy. If she was still awake and caught me making random facial expressions she'd think I'd completely lost it. Although I did wonder sometimes if I still had it.

 _Apparently not with you. You're a hard girl to please, your highness._

 _Stop._ I paused. _And to answer your question, yes I'm coming tomorrow. But not for you... for Lucy. Because I am the best friend ever._

 _Mhmmm. Whatever you say._

 _But I do expect VIP treatment and backstage passes._

Music was filled with an unexpected surprise that afternoon, an unexpected surprise that Nate and Zed had missed hearing because they had buggered off for soundcheck at The Borderline. Well technically it was still a music lesson...

Mr Smith clapped his hands together to get our attention, after the room had errupted into whispers and gossiping when he'd told us he had another big assignment for us. My classmates and I glanced up at him, curiosity etched across our faces, and he smiled. 'Okay, so this is another assignment you're going to be graded on. I've put you all into groups and with your group you have until the last day of term to create your own cover of the Christmas song given and then you'll perform it in a show for families and friends just like last time. There will also be a prize for the winning group.'

People around us started whispering again and Lucy practically shrunk into her chair. 'He's put us into groups? Yikes.' She sighed, chewing the end of her pencil.

'Now it's not up for discussion as some of you might like it to be.' He looked pointedly at Savannah who rolled her eyes. 'I will give each of you an envelope with the names of the peers in your group and the name of the song you will be covering.' He walked around the room, handing out the named envelopes. With my surname still under 'Bright', mine was second to be handed out after Yves Benedict. He moved around the room and Lucy looked at her envelope before giving in and opening it.

I opened mine carefully, trying not to tear the paper underneath.

 _Song: Have yourself a merry little Christmas_

 _Group: Sky Bright, Yves Benedict, Zed Benedict, Lara Winkleman_

I blinked and looked upwards. Yves gave me a thumbs up, but the thought of working alongside his brother annoyed me. Dance partners and now this? Was this a joke amongst staff? Had they worked out he really got under my skin?

'Who've you got?' Lucy asked, her eyes shining. 'I'm with Nate!'

I smiled at my friend, not wanting to kill her mood. 'That's good news.' I told her and she picked up her satchel.

'Shall we get ready to go? Didn't Phillip say he'd pick us up before his dinner meeting?'

I nodded. 'Let's go.'

My apartment smelled clean when we walked inside and I knew that housekeeping had been round that afternoon to ensure it looked its best for me. The floors were polished, the furniture dusted and the fridge was freshly stocked with milk and a few other essentials. Lucy walked around in awe as she often did in the apartment and she grinned and she threw down her bag. 'I still love this place, although I think you should have kept the Iron Throne. It was a nice feature.'

I laughed, putting down my weekend bag on my bedroom floor. I pulled my hair out of its ponytail as I glanced in the full-length mirror. 'So food and then we'll go?'

'I actually thought maybe we could grab some food nearby. There's a nice Mexican round there that my dad takes me to. What do you think?' She ran a brush through her perfectly pin-straight hair and brushed her side bangs across her forehead.

'Sounds good.' I pulled out a red midi dress and held it up. My friend crinkled her nose and shook her head. 'What? It's classy.'

'Sky, have you ever been to a gig?' She raised an eyebrow as she pulled out a pair of black ripped skinny jeans and heeled shoe boots. Then she pulled out a baggy grey t-shirt. 'There will be Savannah and her hussy crew in tiny tight dresses and mini skirts. Then there will be girls and guys in jeans and band t-shirts or plaid shirts, looking casual. Then there is going to be us. We're going to be cool-looking rock chicks.'

'That's your wardrobe, Luce, not mine.' I reminded her, looking at my wardrobe full of suitable Princess attire. I'd been the plaid shirt and jeans girl previously. I didn't dress like that much these days unless I was sure I wasn't going to be recognised anywhere.

'Where are those high-waisted Topshop jeans we bought a few weeks back?' I rummaged around in my wardrobe and pulled them out, holding them up to show success. 'Wear those.' She told me. She searched through the bag she'd brought that was far too big for just a weekend. It was as if she'd decided to move in. She threw over a lace bustier-shaped top. 'And this.'

I picked it up and squinted it. 'If I didn't know better, I'd say this is lingerie.'

'It's from Topshop's autumn collection and I can assure you it's not lingerie. Bralets are in fashion right now. You can wear it with those comfy black court shoes you've got. You'll look smoking hot.' She shrugged off her leather jacket. 'And this jacket too. I'll wear my black sequinned blazer for a bit of sparkle.'

'I don't know. I've never dressed like this.' And leather reminded me too much of Zed.

'Then now is a good time to start. Come on, you'll look smokin'.'

In a way, I kinda did, I decided when I glanced in my mirror when we were ready. In the high-waisted jeans, my legs looked longer and my waist looked tiny. The top made me look like I had a little cleavage without too much and the jacket added more of an edge. My hair had been straightened and we'd both gone for smokey-eyes and winged eyeliner. We looked like we should have been in a cool girlband or at least a rockband. Lucy appeared beside me, taking a selfie of us before I had time to pose. She adjusted her grey t-shirt, which fell off one shoulder, and fiddled with her necklace. I could tell she was used to wearing edgy clothes. They suited her well. With a smile, we grabbed our bags and headed out into London.

We'd opted for catching the tube there, Dimitri hovering behind us in 'everyday' wear as not to give away who I was. We'd gone for subtlty and so far it was working. No one glanced our way. We were just two girls on the underground. Two sixteen year-old girls who looked about eighteen, maybe even a little older. We stayed on the Central Line from Queensway to Tottenham Court Road, where the station was buzzing with tourists and shoppers who had spent too much money on Oxford Street. Lucy led me to the restaurant, Wahaca, which was a Mexican chain restaurant that was only in London. It sold Mexican street food, so they put it, and it was quirky with upcycled furniture. The place was mainly filled in with students and we were seated near the back, everyone oblivious to us as Dimitri sat on a table for one nearby. I ordered myself a sweet potato and goats cheese quesadilla and we shared some sweet potato fries which were to die for.

'So are you looking forward to the gig?' I asked my friend after swallowing a mouthful. I was trying to eat ladylike, the way Lady Clarence had shown me, and so far it was working surprisingly well.

'I love seeing Nate play.' She told me with a smile. 'And _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ are really good. They have a big fanbase, even more so now they've been signed.'

'So lots of crying and screaming girls then? And knicker-throwing?'

'That's why I've brought a spare pair.' My friend smiled and my eyes widened in horror. 'I'm joking!' She laughed. 'That's totally gross!'

'Thank god, for a minute there I thought you were some crazy fan girl... wait, you're worse.' I teased. 'Because you're the girlfriend of the bassist.'

'I don't know if I'd call it that yet.' She looked nervous. 'It's been a few dates and he still hasn't kissed me. Maybe I've scared him off?'

'You'd have scared him off years ago if that was the case.' I grinned at her. 'Seeing as you've know each other since primary school.'

'Hmm maybe you're right.' She replied through a mouthful of food.

'Hate to sound like lady Clarence but maybe you shouldn't eat with your mouth full and be more ladylike.'

The Borderline was a ten minute walk away and was tucked away down a side road. The building had large glass windows and already there were girls congregating outside, queuing to get in. We walked over to the security guard and gave our names and flashed our passports as a form of indentification and the security guard let us straight in, past the queuing girls with banners and squeals. They glared as we passed and I blinked as we were handed our AAA (access all areas) wristbands and Lucy pulled me through the door. Some fans were already inside, buying merchandise which made me giggle. Some t-shirts had _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ logos on and there were a few with pictures of the band on too. I squinted, spotting a picture of Zed looking sexy in a tight grey v-neck with a 'Future Mrs Benedict' caption on the t-shirt.

'Okay this is totally weirding me out.' I said to Lucy as some girls squealed whilst they took selfies in their newly bought t-shirts. My friend had been right about the types of people at the gig; there were girls wearing low-cut tops and tiny skirts, guys wearing band t-shirts and leather jackets, girls wearing plaid and then girls wearing the merchandise on sale or their own designs.

'Yeah, it is a little weird.' She blinked as a girl wearing a homemade 'Nate's my future boyfriend' t-shirt walked past. 'Let's head into the venue.'

The Borderline main room consisted of a large wooden floor, a bar along the back with stools and then a smaller bar near the stage at the front. Onstage was a backdrop with the _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ logo and the silhouettes of the guys. Girls and a few guys already crowded around the front of the stage, waiting as the support act set themselves up. I knew it was going to get a lot busier before they came onstage; the show was sold out, all 250 tickets had been bought. The thought was insane.

 _You here?_ Zed's voice took me by surprise and I tried to keep my cool as Lucy ordered us each a lemonade. Part of me wanted something stronger.

 _Yep, just got here. There's lots of girls here that seem to be competing to be the future Mrs Benedict._

 _Are they hot?_ I resisted rolling my eyes.

 _You're disgusting._

 _I'm kidding. Now if it was_ you _wearing one of those t-shirts, things would be different._

'Sky! Darling!' Savannah appeared in a tiny red dress which made her look at least eighteen. She pulled me into a hug and kissed both cheeks, as if we were actually friends.

'Hey, Savannah.' I replied, casually. 'You look nice.' I lied, a smile plastered on my face. She actually looked like a classy hooker. In my opinion anyway.

'So do you... very rock and roll.' She gave my outfit a once-over and smiled as Annie and Maria, her two best friends, stuck their hands on their hips in unison, drawing attention to their sequinned mini skirts.

'Here you go, Sky.' Lucy returrned and passed me my drink. She gave Savannah a false smile.

'You should have said you were both coming.' Savannah said to us, flicking her long human hair extensions off of her shoulder. 'You could have shared the limo.' She spotted the wristbands on our wrists and her expression faltered, although it was so quick that I wasn't sure Lucy had spotted it. 'Girls, let's get us some wine. I've brought my fake ID for a reason.' And then they were gone. Clearly, she'd been upset that Zed hadn't given her an AAA wristband and I was pretty surprised, too. They seemed to have an on-off relationship if that's what you could call it. Making out was definitely involved and possibly more. The support act introduced themselves onstage and Lucy pulled me over to a gap as close to the front as we could get. Then the music started.

The support act, _Wonderland,_ were pretty hip and pretty cool. People danced to their music and Lucy and I even ended up joining them, whilst avoiding the ridiculous moshpit that had started in the middle of the room for some reason. Then they were off and the instruments were switched. A sound guy tested Zed's blue electric guitar whilst another checked Nate's bass and Zack's new drumkit, which had the band's logo on it.

'Do I look okay?' Lucy paled beside me as the lights dimmed and the crowd screamed with excitement. She was clearly nervous about seeing Nate and I felt for her. I got nervous when I was going on a date with Marcus.

'You look gorgeous.' I told her and she gave me a small smile as the music started up. The band appeared onstage and the audience went wild as they started to sing _She Looks so Perfect_.

The song ended and Zed's cocky personna returned as he ran a hand through his dark hair and the girls next to us swooned. 'Hello London!' He called out. Cue screams. He adjusted his guitar, his white t-shirt tight against his muscular chest and arms. He met my eyes and he smiled that familiar, cocky smile. I folded my arms across my chest in response. 'We are thrilled to be here tonight with you all and you're all looking hot!' Cue more screams. 'If you know this one, please sing along.' He went into _She's Kinda Hot_ and girls danced around us, screaming. I spotted Savannah grinding to the music (if that was even possible) a few rows behind and she gave Zed a flirtacious look which made me roll my eyes. I glanced over at my best friend to make a comment to her, but her eyes were too busy being fixated on Nate, who gave her a shy smile. They were sickeningly cute, that was for sure.

The concert sped by and I was thankful the air conditioning kept the room cool as I wasn't feeling brave enough to strip off my leather jacket. I noticed Dimitri hovering by the bar, watching me carefully but not giving away my identity. I was thankful for that.

'So I wrote this new song last night when I couldn't sleep because a girl was on my mind.' Zed said into the microphone when it was time for the second-to-last song. Cue hysterical screaming and girls wondering if it was them. 'I really want to play it so please just give me a shot. I know it's a little raw but I hope... I hope she likes it.' His cocky personna slipped for a moment and his eyes met mine as Savannah waved at him from the corner of my eye. Nate came in with the bass, glancing at the sheet music down on the floor, and then the drums and guitar came in as Zed started to sing. _'"Oh don't you dare look back._

 _Just keep your eyes on me."_

 _I said, "You're holding back, "_

 _She said, "Shut up and dance with me!"_

 _This woman is my destiny_

 _She said, "Ooh-ooh-hoo,_

 _Shut up and dance with me."'_ He winked at me and Lucy prodded me in the side.

'Didn't you tell Zed to shut up when we were dancing yesterday?' She gave me a suspicious look and I didn't reply. Instead, I simply blushed and looked down as Zed continued to sing.

 _'We were victims of the night,_

 _The chemical, physical, kryptonite_

 _Helpless to the bass and the fading light_

 _Oh, we were bound to get together,_

 _Bound to get together.'_

Nate moved back towards his mic and took over for the bridge, a few girls in front of him cheering as he did so. _'She took my arm,_

 _I don't know how it happened._

 _We took the floor and she said,'_

The band sang together and I glanced back up, glad Zed's attention had slipped from me for a moment.

 _"Oh, don't you dare look back._

 _Just keep your eyes on me."_

 _I said, "You're holding back, "_

 _She said, "Shut up and dance with me!"_

 _This woman is my destiny_

 _She said, "Ooh-ooh-hoo,_

 _Shut up and dance with me."_

I felt nervous as my heart thudded against my chest and then I almost felt relieved when the song was over. At least I was until Lucy prodded me in the side as the band went into their final song. 'So that song was clearly about you. Am I missing something?'

'Not at all.' I replied casually, although I had this funny feeling she didn't believe me.

When the gig was over, it was almost time for the venue's curfew. Not that that stopped Savannah from trying to get backstage. She argued with security over and over, saying she was Zed's girlfriend. Only, security simply laughed at her, replying that they'd already heard that phrase many times that night and then they asked her to leave.

'Sky?' She looked over at me, helplessly, but Lucy pulled me backstage with a flash of our wristbands before I could respond, Dimitri waiting by the door for us.

Backstage wasn't flashy. It was hardly backstage at the O2 arena. The green room was a reasonable sized room with two leather sofas, a coffee table, a games console and a television, mirrors across one wall and an attached bathroom. We hesitated in the doorway as a middle-aged gentleman spoke to them and then he glanced up at us. 'Come on in, ladies. I'm just leaving.' He gave us a friendly smile and then disappeared out, giving me a double-take. I wondered if he'd realised who I was.

'Our manager.' Nate said, answering the question that I hadn't asked. He smiled up at us, his eyes softening as he looked at my best friend. 'Thanks for coming.' He said it mainly to her, but I didn't mind. He stood up first, hugging me quickly and then hugging Lucy, planting a kiss on her cheek. She blushed. Zed came over next, hugging both of us, the smell of freshly sprayed Lynx on his skin. Then Zack gave us a nod. He wasn't one for human contact if he could help it, which was weird considering he was in a boyband with a mainly hormonal female fanbase.

'Drink?' Zed held up a beer and Nate frowned at him.

'Mate, what if Dave sees us with a beer? He said we weren't to be drinking underage, remember?' Nate folded his arms and gave his bandmate a disapproving look.

'Well what else are we supposed to do? You cancelled the afterparty.' Zed replied, looking at the beer and then back at his friend, uncertain of what to do.

'Because my parents came home a day early. I know it blows, but they're not going to let us have a party.' He turned to Lucy. 'Sorry, I know you were looking forward to it.'

I glanced at my friend, who had not mentionned a party. She'd not said anything at all. I shrugged it off instead. Maybe it meant we could get back before it was too late? I was feeling pretty tired.

'Can't we go somewhere else?' Lucy suggested.

'Not unless you've got fake ID.' Zed replied.

'And no offense, Sky, but you might blow our cover a bit.' Zack piped up from the sofa he was still sat on.

'Yeah I'm a bit of a party pooper.' I replied. 'Sorry.'

'I have an idea.' Lucy's eyes lit up and I gave her a curious look. 'If it's alright with Sky of course.' Oh no. I knew what she was thinking. 'Sky, we could go back to yours for a few drinks and a late night jamming session?'

'I'm going to bed, but you guys go ahead.' Zack shrugged.

'Sky?' Lucy was looking at me with hopeful eyes. I knew why. She wanted to kiss Nate. And if we headed back our separate ways now, it was going to blow everything. But then that meant spending time with Zed whilst the two of them acted all mushy.

I sighed. I was too good of a friend. 'Okay, fine, just for a bit.'


	11. Underneath the mistletoe last night

'Beer?' Zed offered me, holding up some Tequila beer when we got back to my apartment. He placed some bottles in my fridge and glanced at me, expectantly.

'Sure.' I replied. I needed something to keep myself going. He opened a bottle and passed it over to me, clinking his bottle against mine. I glanced through the kitchen window, where Nate and Lucy were walking, hand-in-hand in the moonlight in the courtyard garden. I gave a small smile. They were perfect together.

'They're a cute couple.' Zed commented as he sank down into a dining chair. He took a swig of his beer as I sat down beside him. 'It's about time they got together.'

'I guess both of them were just scared that the feelings weren't reciprocated.'

'So two weeks til the Snow Ball. Got your dress yet?' His attempt at smalltalk made me smile. I just couldn't help it.

'Yeah.' I put down my bottle of beer a little harder than planned and I grabbed it before it could topple over. Why was I such a clutz?

'Do I get any early preview?' He gave me a cheeky grin and I shook my head.

'I haven't even let the girls see it, why would I let you?'

'Because I'm your date.'

'Hardly. It's _a_ dance.'

'And is your boyfriend coming?'

'No.' I sighed. Marcus had a charity event that night. For his ex-girlfriend's charity. The thought made me uncomfortable but he'd promised he would go and I trusted him, didn't I?

'Then let me be your date.' He placed his bottle down and looked at me with intense eyes. 'What will it take? Glass slippers? Flowers?'

I wrinkled up my nose. 'Why do people think they can buy me? You're forgetting that I'm new to all of this.' I signalled to the apartment around me. 'I love having my own place to do my own thing, but I'd have been just as happy with a studio flat in Brixton.'

'Brixton, really?' He laughed. 'And I'm not trying to bribe you, I just thought you liked that stuff.'

'You have no idea what I like.'

'Then tell me.' His eyes softened and he almost looked as if he had let his guard down, stopped with the bad boy act. It was intriguing.

'What do you want to know?' I asked, unsure whether or not I was going to like the answer.

'Why don't you start from the beginning?' And for some weird reason, I did.

'Sorry I'm late.' I hurried into the music room to find Yves, Zed and Lara already waiting for me. It was the day before the ball and I'd spent time in the library writing an English Literature assignment on Tess of the D'Urbervilles. I'd completely lost track of time.

'It's okay.' Yves said with a friendly smile. 'It's that busy time of year.'

It definitely was. Between Christmas carol services, Christmas shopping and princess duties, I'd hardly had time for hanging out with my friends or even Marcus. Everything had just been so hectic and I was relieved I only had the music assignment and a science exam to go before I could relax. I perched myself on the stool beside Zed and he gave me a friendly smile, something I'd started to see a little more of.

'Shall we run from the top?' Lara called out from her spot by the piano. I'd desperately wanted to play, but Yves and Zed had allowed Lara to do so because it meant that my vocals could be used. With Zed's. Yves grabbed his guitar and pulled it over his lap. He started to play as Lara did, the sounds of the guitar and piano blending together almost perfectly.

Zed started to sing and goosebumps tingled across my arms, surprising me and catching me off guard, _'Have yourself a merry little Christmas,_

 _Let your heart be light_

 _From now on,_

 _our troubles will be out of sight.'_

I closed by eyes and joined him in singing, our voices mixing into a perfect harmony. _'Have yourself a merry little Christmas,_

 _Make the Yule-tide gay,_

 _From now on,_

 _our troubles will be miles away.'_

I opened my eyes and Zed smiled across at me as I sang my solo, _'Here we are as in olden days,_

 _Happy golden days of yore._

 _Faithful friends who are dear to us_

 _Gather near to us once more.'_

We scheduled two more meet ups before the concert the following Friday, just one week away, and then Lara and Yves headed off, making their way to dinner. I grabbed my books, dropping them immediately and sighing as I bent down to retrieve them from the floor. I was exhausted.

Zed bent down too, helping me pick them up and passing them across to me. 'You look tired.' He told me and I knew it wasn't a nasty comment. It was true.

'I've not had any time to relax this week.' I sighed. 'Gallery openings, library until closing time at 9pm... it's been crazy. Although I'd bet Nate and Lucy quite like not having me in the room. I'm not sure they know that I'm aware they've been sneaking in for make-out sessions.'

He laughed. 'Sounds about right.' We both stood up and he grabbed my bag. 'Come on, I'll walk you back to the dorm.' We left the building and I shivered at the cold air. I wondered if it was going to snow. It had that cool feel about it. 'So has your dress arrived for tomorrow?'

'Yep.' I nodded.

'The purple one?'

'Lilac.' I squinted at him. 'How did you know that?'

'Lucy isn't very good at keeping secrets from Nate.' He grinned and I rolled my eyes. He probably had kissed it out of her. I was sure that was becoming one of her new hobbies; kissing Nate. 'Actually, I have a favour to ask you.'

'You do?' The books wobbled and he grabbed a few to balance me out, tucking them under his arm.

'I have a dilemma. My parents have a ski chalet in Morzine.'

'That doesn't sound much of a problem. I bet it's lovely at this time of year.'

'It is.' He nodded. 'The problem is Nate has been coming with us for years and this year of course, he's with Lucy and my mum invited her along too.' He pushed the strap of my satchel further up his shoulder. 'I'm just worried I'll end up as a gooseberry.'

'What about Yves and your other brothers?'

'Yves will be with us for Christmas and then he's coming back here because he's doing some work experience before we come back to school. Work experience in Christmas sounds like a terrible idea.' He crinkled up his nose. 'So I was wondering if you wanted to come too? Mum's cool with it, she'd quite like to meet you.'

'Your mum wants to meet _me_? _Why_?'

'Because you're my soulfinder.' He said it so quietly that no one else would have heard us, if anyone had been around of course.

'I'll have to check with Simon and Sally... and my dad too, I suppose.' It seemed a nice idea, but at the same time would he get the wrong idea? Marcus and I were together and he needed to understand that. Plus, I'd never even left the country! That was scary, although my heart desperately wanted to visit somewhere new.

'Well that's better than a simple 'no'.' He smiled. 'Lucy is flying out on the 27th and then she's back January 2nd so let me know and I can try and get you on her flight.'

I slept like a baby that night, after I'd googled Morzine of course. It was a commune on the French/Swiss border and it was a popular ski resort. In the summer, only the highest nearby mountains had snow and the rest looked like a beautiful scene from Lord of the Rings with waterfalls descending from the mountain peaks into the valley below. Then there were the pictures from winter; thick blankets of snow covered the grounds and rooftops of the wooden alpine buildings, the trees looking like they were covered in icing sugar. I'd never seen that much snow before. It was magical.

I woke up and arranged to meet Sally and Simon for lunch, deciding it was better to discuss the possibility of going abroad face-to-face. I had plenty of time before the ball and Lucy and I weren't booked into the salon up the road for hair, make-up and a manicure until 3pm. My adoptive parents picked me up, their time-keeping perfect as always, and they drove me back to the two bedroom flat they owned near the river.

'You look a lot happier and healthier than you did on Wednesday.' Simon commented, a smile on his face. 'Much more like the Sky we know and love.'

'You've been working too hard.' Sally added as she passed me my cheese and ham toastie. 'I hope you're planning on spending the three weeks of your Christimas holidays relaxing.'

'Well actually, some kids from school have invited Lucy and I on holiday with their family.' I put down my cup of tea and glanced up at them from under my thick eyelashes, trying to decipher their reaction.

Sally looked surprised but not horrified. It was a good start. 'Well that's nice of them. Where do they want to take you?' She asked.

'Morzine, a ski resort on the French-Swiss border.' I replied.

'Skiing?!' Simon laughed. 'Oh sweetheart, you're not a skiier!'

'I know, but it's a chance to try something new and you know I've never been abroad.'

'Who has invited you?' Simon asked and I swallowed.

'Zed and Yves Benedict.' I watched as his eyes narrowed.

'A boy? You're asking to go on holiday with a boy?'

'Lucy's going! We're sharing a room and Mr and Mrs Benedict will be there. They're staying out there for a month and Lucy and I will only be there for a few days with some other kids from school.'

'How does your father feel about this?' Sally asked, cautiously.

'I spoke to him this morning.' I said, honestly. He'd given me the OK. Said it was healthy to travel and see the world and it was about time I started doing so. He'd even asked for the details of Mr and Mrs Benedict so he could speak to them about the trip. 'He was fine about it.' I continued. 'Although, of course he will be sending Dimitri with me to keep me safe.' I screwed up my nose at that.

'It's not going to be cheap, but then I assume your father is paying?' Simon's poker face was unreadable. I just nodded and he glanced at Sally. 'I'm not sure how I feel about you going on holiday with some boys. Boys who we haven't met and don't know anything about.'

'But Simon, if the parents are going to be there then things will be fine and she is sixteen now. It's a shame for her to miss out.' Sally gave me a reassuring smile and I held my breath.

'But I was a teenage boy once, Sal, I know what they're like.'

'Sky isn't a baby and she's not going to be taken advantage of. She's a sensible girl.'

It was like I wasn't there. I was just sat in the middle of a tennis match, watching the discussion move back and forwards, back and forwards. Then, eventually, Simon gave in. 'Fine, you can go. But I want daily updates via e-mail.'

Lucy was ecstatic when she found out I was going to be joining her. She promised to teach me how to snowboard, although the thought horrified me. I was happy to go and just take pictures of the beautiful scenery or hang out in the spa at the bottom of the slope. Both seemed like safe options. She chattered away about what I'd need to buy whilst we had our hair and nails done for the ball and when we were all dolled up, we returned back to our dorm room where we ordered my plane ticket, securing the seat next to hers, and some ski gear for myself. Thank goodness I had a princess card to pay for everything.

'Will I do?' Lucy emerged from behind the open wardrobe in her royal blue ballgown with embellished detailing on the bust and across the straps. The chiffon skirt fell, just covering her silver stiletto heels, and her hair had been pinned into a loose curled bun, a few strands framing her face.

'You look wonderful.' I told her, from where I still sat in my jeans and tank top. I was the only one not yet dressed and that was why my friends were staring at me, urging me to get changed. Zoe wore a one-shoulder ballgown which was navy and then blended into a royal blue at the bottom in an ombre-style, her black hair pin-straight and decorated with a few sparkly hair clips and Tina had also gone for ombre with her deep purple strapless designer dress with ombre pink around the waist, flattering it, her red hair piled up on top of her head. I reached up to touch my own hair; my blonde curls were pinned to one side with a sparkly clip, leaving them falling delicately over one shoulder in a hairstyle that made me feel grown-up.

'Time is ticking and we need some pictures before we go.' Tina tapped at her wrist as if wearing an invisible watch. 'It's cool to be fashionably late, we already are, but being too late isn't cool and we'll fail Ballroom Dancing for missing our dance!'

That was the reason I wasn't yet dressed. I was nervous. I'd hardly eaten any tea because of nerves and my heart was fluttering, beating an irregular rhythm. What if I messed up? As a princess, people expected me to dance with confidence. Secondly, what if Zed decided not to show up or he was drunk like he had been at the last school dance? I glanced up at my friends, their eyes eager, and then I grabbed my dress and shoes and got changed in the bathroom. I crept back to the room without running into anyone else.

'Oh, Sky!' Lucy gasped as I opened the door. My lilac dress had lace detailing across the bust and a sweetheart neckline with delicate transparent lace over the shoulders where it fell into a deep V on my back, finishing just above my waist. The skirt fell in gentle tulle on the floor, covering the silver Jimmy Choo sandals on my feet.

'Is it okay?' I asked, nervously. I'd been given it by a designer and I'd loved it, but I hadn't tried it on in front of a full-length mirror.

'It's perfect!' Zoe and Tina chorused, looking emotional.

Lucy smiled up at me. 'You're the perfect princess.'

The hall had been made into a winter wonderland. Lit-trees led the way in up the path and there was a large Christmas tree in the lobby, decorated with white and silver. Icicle lights hung from the ceiling in the main room, as did giant white snowflakes. The room was lit with blue lighting and tables and chairs were stuck in the corners surrounding the huge, cleared dancefloor. The DJ was set up on the small stage and the music was already blaring out of the speakers, people dancing around us to a song I didn't recognise; I wasn't exactly in-touch with the music.

We put our coats down, saving ourselves seats and that's when Ms Jones grabbed the microphone. 'To officially open the evening, our Year Twelve students will now be performing the School Waltz.' She announced and my heart raced in my chest. Was Zed even here? I glanced around. I couldn't see him. Where was he? 'Starting positions!' Our teacher called and my cheeks flushed. I really hoped I wasn't going to be stood up.

My friends raced off to stand in their lines and I picked up my dress, moving to do the same. I stood in my line, nervously and then, when I glanced up, he was there. Zed was stood wearing a grey tailored suit with a purple tie. His jaw dropped and he looked at me in surprise before smiling.

 _You're so beautiful._ His compliment caught me off-guard and I swallowed. The suit made him look even better looking than normal and, surprisingly, this time he seemed sober. The music, which was an instrumental of Ed Sheeran's _Kiss Me_ , started up and I curtsied along with the other girls whilst the men bowed, all in perfect unison. Then Zed held his hand up and I did the same as we moved in our circles, clockwise and then anti-clockwise without touching. We moved to stand side-by-side and walked in time to the beat of the music, stepping in time. Then, after our eight counts, Zed twirled me in a circle and we were in waltz position, his hand sending goosebumps across my bare back as his other hand helped him to guide me across the floor in time to the music. I wanted to relax, to enjoy it, but I couldn't. I was too tense. Marcus hadn't returned my call all day, for one, and my other issue was that I was dancing with a boy who was giving me goosebumps like my boyfriend never had. And then there was the clutz syndrome, threatening to make me fall and make an idiot of myself. I concentrated on every step, every turn, trying to ignoe the intensity of Zed's deep brown eyes staring into mine. And then the song was over and he hadn't let go of me. His hand still held me in place and I was sure we were stood closer than we had been earlier on in the dance.

'Well I didn't mess up.' I said, breaking the intense silence.

'You were fantastic.' He told me, a sexy smile creeping onto his face. I slapped myself mentally for referring to him as sexy.

'Sky, let's grab a drink!' Tina appeared at my side as the DJ returned to his business and Zed released me, an unclear emotion on his face.

I turned to my friend and smiled. 'Sounds good.'

I'd missed dancing with the girls. We rocked silly dance moves to the cheesey songs and pretended to be the ultimate girl band every time Little Mix or even Fifth Harmony came blaring out of the speakers. When Taylor Swift came on, our excitement grew more and we danced around wildly, making me wonder why anyone would ever drink stupid amounts of alcohol in a club. Who needed alcohol to have a good time? It was possible sober if you had good friends with you. My phone buzzed from deep inside my clutch bag and I pulled it out to see Marcus' name on the screen.

'I'll be right back.' I told my friends and they nodded. I stepped outside to take the call, immediately wishing I'd brought my coat with me. 'Hey.'

'Hi Sky.' He said, his voice nervous and less cheery than it normally was. 'Sorry I've not returned your call. How's the ball?'

'Well I didn't mess up the dance so that was something, huh?' I laughed.

'Yeah.' He was silent for a moment and I felt a little awkward.

'What's wrong?' I frowned, sensing it. I didn't need to be a savant to sense something was wrong.

'Nothing... I mean it's not really a good time to have this conversation. We're both at parties.'

'Mark? What is it?' My heart thudded in my chest.

'Sky, do you love me?'

My throat went dry. I hadn't told him I had and I still wasn't sure. 'I... I don't know.'

His voice was sad. 'That's what I thought.'

'We've only been together a few months.' I told him but he sighed from the other end.

'Look, you're busy and I've been busy too with my degree and work experience and actually I'm going to be a lot busier... I don't think I'm being the boyfriend you deserve. You need someone who has more time for you.'

'We do spend time together.' My voice was hoarse and high-pitched and I felt sick.

'Sometimes, yes, but not as much as we did and... I can't make you love me, Sky.' He was silent and so was I. I didn't know what to say. 'I think... maybe we need to put things on hold. I'll always be there for you, you're wonderful and clever and pretty, but I think now isn't the time for _us._ One day it might be, one day I hope it is, but right now, it just isn't.'

'So it's over?' I whispered and I glanced up to see a few of my peers looking at me, listening to my conversation.

'Yes. Take care.' And then he disconnected the call. My eyes had teared up and I shuddered, wrapping my arms around myself as I looked up at the beautiful night sky. Now wasn't our time? We were both busy? Or was it because he had been spending a lot of time with his model of an ex? This was why I hadn't wanted a relationship. Relationships always ended with disappointment far from the fairytale endings Disney films promised. A tear rolled down my cheek and I realised I couldn't go back into the ball. My good mood had been destroyed, destroyed by a guy who I'd thought could have been my prince charming. Perfect Lord Marcus with his good looks and gentlemanly gestures. I stood up and hurried back to my room, like Cinderella running from the ball at midnight.

I must have fallen asleep for a while because I woke up to the banging on my window. I glanced down at the dress I was still wearing and I wiped the mascara that was across my cheeks from crying. A look at the empty bed across from me told me it was still early and that the ball was still happening. A glance at my phone told me that my friends were worried about me, they'd heard from Phillip. I sighed and looked at the window where Zed was sat in his tree.

 _Go away._ I said, really not in the mood to be told I looked crap or to be persuaded to go back to the ball.

 _Nope._ He popped the 'p'. _I'll sit out here all night if I have to._ He tapped on the window. Again and again and I realised he wasn't going to stop until I opened it. I sighed and opened the window carefully.

'I was worried about you.' His voice was concerned and I knew he had genuinely been worried. It surprised me. 'Why did you leave?'

'I'm not sure I want to talk about it.'

He glanced down at the polaroid of Marcus and I that had been ripped it half and lay on the floor. He didn't say anything, but I knew he'd sussed it. 'He didn't deserve you anyway.' He told me, his eyes flicking up to meet mine again. 'And if he's made you hide in your room then he has won.'

'I'm not hiding.' I told him but he raised his eyebrows. 'Fine, I'm just not really in the mood anymore for watching couples dance together.' I thought ahead to my father's Christmas party the following weekend and I groaned. Marcus would be there of course.

'Then let's hang out and watch a film or something?' He suggested. 'If of course you're not afraid to break the 'no boys in your room' rule.'

'Afraid? Of course not. Come on in.'

It became clear why Marcus and us had broken up the next day. Every front page of every paper showed him greeting his ex and model, Cassandra Kingsley, with a kiss on the cheek. Then there were pictures of them leaving hand-in-hand, her body perfect in a black maxi dress with cut out and sheer detail. I'd felt upset at first but then Zed's words echoed in my head. I was stronger than this. I didn't need a guy to be happy. I didn't want him to win. I spent the next few days keeping my head up and keeping busy, smiling and keeping my cool.

Thursday came quickly and my dress fitting for the ball made me nervous. Lucy, who was my plus one for the royal party now, sat in my room in the palace with me whilst the designer I didn't recognise made final tweaks to my dress. There was a knock at the door and then it opened revealing my father. Lucy's eyes widened. She'd not yet met the King. She stumbled to her feet and curtsied.

'There's no need for that, child.' The King said.

'Er, father, this is my best friend Lucy. Lucy this is my father, his royal highness-'

'Edward. Just call me Edward.' His smile was warm as he shook my friend' hand. 'It's lovely to meet you.

'And you sir... erm... Edward.' Lucy was nervous and her cheeks were rosy.

'That dress looks lovely on you.' He turned to face me now, taking in the red dress that had been fashionned for me for the party and the formal family photos before hand. The red gown was tight around the bust and only had a strap over one shoulder, where a strip of tulle fabric fell away from the dress like half of a cape. The skirt was tulle too and dimantes were embellished in a small and delicate detailing around my waist. 'Now, I've spoken to Mr and Mrs Benedict regarding your trip to Morzine.'

'Oh?' I glanced up, wondering if he'd changed his mind. I was far more willing to go now; it meant being further away from Marcus and my ski outfits had already arrived. Designer, of course. Nothing less for the princess, apparently.

'I'd like to meet them before you go away with them.'

'They're going away on Monday so that might be kind of hard.' I replied. Christmas Day was just six days away and that meant the Benedicts flying out on Monday so they were at their chalet for Christmas. And then two days after Christmas I would be joining them.

'That's why I have invited them to the party on Saturday night. So I can meet them and then so can Sally and Simon.'

My heart fluttered against my chest. 'And they're coming?'

'Yes, as are your friends Yves and Zed.' He gave me a warm smile and Lucy's eyebrows shot up. Suddenly I felt even more nervous about the Christmas party.

I glanced through the gap in the curtain at the crowd as Savannah's group performed their version of Santa Baby, Savannah in her Mariah-Carey style Mrs Claus dress. She was trying to be Kylie but she was trying far too hard. I spotted Sally and Simon sat with Phillip and my father and it made my heart flutter with nerves seeing them all sat together, waiting for us to walk on next. My waist was given a squeeze and I glanced up to see Zed stood beside me, looking smart in black tailored trousers, a white shirt and a red tie which managed his red converse.

'How are you holding up?' He asked, the smell of cigarettes on him. He was clearly nervous too.

I fiddled with the hem of the cream lace dress I was wearing. 'I've been better.'

He peered through the gap in the curtain I had been looking through. 'Your dad's here.' His eyes were wide. 'You didn't say your dad was coming.'

'It's not a big deal.' I shrugged. 'You're used to performing anyway.'

'Not in front of the King.' He swallowed and my mouth twitched. I wanted to smile at his squirming.

'Huh, and you're singing with his only daughter, the princess.' I reminded him and he shuffled, uncomfortably as the crowd applauded Savannah. We were up next. 'You ready?'

Savannah walked off the stage, blowing a kiss to Zed as she passed him. I sucked in a deep breath and walked onto the stage alongside Lara. She sat down at the piano and Yves slipped the guitar strap over his shoulder, taking his place. I stood at the mic stand next to Zed's and a shy smile appeared on his face instead of the usually cocky one that came with his persona. The music started up and we got lost in it.

'We did it!' Yves called out happily when we were backstage after the performance. The audience were still cheering as the next act went out. He hugged Lara and I then high-fived Zed.

'You were awesome!' Zed was buzzing, it was clear, as he picked me up and spun me around. I laughed as he put me down and I his eyes locked onto mine in an expression I couldn't decipher. His aura around him was hiding itself from me too.

'Hey Zed.' Savannah purred, appearing at his side. She ran her false nails across his biceps and smiled up at him, fluttering her eyelashes. 'You were great, baby.'

'Thanks, Anna.' He smiled down at her and I blinked at the nickname. 'So were you.'

'Do you like my dress? I wore it for you.' Her eyes were seductive now and I felt a little uncomfortable. I turned away with Yves, watching the band onstage. 'Maybe you can come by my room later and... check it out.' My eyes widened as I switched off my hearing, focussing on what was going on onstage.

We didn't win. A beautiful and emotional cover of Silent Night had won and I hadn't been surprised. The vocals and harp and violins had just made it perfect and it had given me goosebumps. I didn't mind not winning though. We'd got a good grade, the perfect end to my first full term at the Royal College of Alexandra, and then my father, brother, Sally and Simon had taken me out for a meal together at a nice Italian in the town. The following day, a car came to take Lucy and I to the palace. We grabbed our packed bags for the night and headed off as a little snow started to fall from the sky, leaving a sprinkling of icing sugar across the ground. We spent the afternoon riding around the paddock on Angel and Crackle, one of the other horses that lived in the stable at the back of the Palace gardens, before retiring to my room for sandwiches and beauty treatments. Our legs were waxed, something which still hurt but I was getting immune to, our eyebrows shaped and then we were given facials.

'I think we should go to the party like this.' Lucy signalled to her green face, green from the face mask she was wearing.

'I think you're right. It's not like we have any men to impress anyway.' I replied, stifling a giggle.

'I don't know, I still think Zed has the hots for you.' Her eyes were serious and I glanced away, my cheeks feeling hot.

'Don't be ridiculous. Besides, he's not my type and I'm avoiding boys now for at least two years. They just aren't worth it.'

'He's not your type?' Her right eyebrow raised. 'You seem to talk to him quite a lot... at least you have over the past few weeks.'

'We were doing an assignment together, remember?'

'Mmmhmm.' She rolled her eyes at me as the beautician gave us a thumbs up, signalling that it was time for her to remove our masks. 'Whatever you say.'

Lucy looked like royalty herself that evening. She wore a simple black dress with a lace top and lace capped sleeves, a chiffon skirt attached and a pearl necklace with matching pearl earrings, the same cream colour as her shoes. Her hair was in a loose plaited updo, a few curls falling and framing her face. Her golden make-up made her eyes more green than blue but they twinkled non the less. 'Do I look okay? I hope so as it's my first royal ball.'

'You look wonderful.' I called out to her from behind my divider. 'Like I said earlier, you look a million dollars.' I zipped up my red dress and stood out, feeling almost a million dollars myself. My dress fitted perfectly and looked even better with heels on, adding a little height. My hair was down and curled, a few strands pinned back from my face, and my tiara, the tiara I'd worn for the first ball I'd attended, was secured on my head. I had diamond droplet earrings in each ear and a subtle diamond necklace around my neck.

'Wow.' Lucy's eyes looked teary.

'Why are you crying? Please don't.' I begged her, glancing at my own make-up in the mirror. My eyes shone like blue sapphires thanks to the natural-looking false eyelashes and make-up highlighting them.

'Because I've not seen you in your princess outfits with your tiara before. It's beautiful, it really is.' She sniffed.

'Luce, you're going to smudge your make-up.'

'Sorry.' She apologised. She sucked in a few deep breaths and then looked up at me. 'You do look lovely, though, really lovely.'

There was a knock at the door and Nina appeared. 'Your highness, we're ready for the family Christmas photos.' I followed her out of the door, Lucy closely behind me, and along to the library where a space had been cleared by the Christmas tree. Phillip stood in a tuxedo, a red bow tie on, and my father was there in a similar looking tux. The Queen wore a beautiful navy velvet ballgown, her sapphires in her crown making it look even more beautiful.

She gave me a smile when she saw me. 'Sky, you look very much the perfect princess.' She told me before turning to my friend. 'As do you , Lucy.'

'Thank you.' We both chorused and Lucy took a seat to the side as I was ushered into the photograph. A few photographs were taken of me stood next to my father, Phillip across from me and stood next to his mother. Then we were swapped around. I posed for a few portraits too and then thankfully Nina returned, alerting us that the guests had arrived and it was time to make our entrance. Lucy was ushered off and I promised her that I would meet her in the ballroom. I wished the entrance hadn't been so formal; this was a party, an event which wouldn't be published anywhere. It was close family and friends invited only, not any members of the public. I sighed and took my place at the top of the staircase, beside my brother.

'Are you okay?' Phillip asked me as he held out his arm for me. I held it gently.

'Why wouldn't I be?'

He frowned at me. 'Dear sister, don't try that with me. You can try to put on a smile and fool everyone else but I know you're hurting. It's in your eyes.' He lowered his voice. 'Does it help if I say I want to punch him? Because I really do and I think Marcus knows that too. I'm sure that's why he's avoided my calls all week.'

I laughed at that. 'I don't think father would be pleased if you punched a good family friend at a Christmas party.'

'Good family friends don't break my sister's heart.' He said, his voice sincere. Our titles were announced and he gave me a reassuring smile, one that told me it was going to be okay. He led me down the stairs into the ballroom and I smiled as I saw Lucy, Sally and Simon waiting for me. Then I saw him. Marcus dressed in his suit, looking dapper and ever so handsome. He gave me a weak smile and I tensed as we reached the bottom of the stairs, the King and Queen right behind us. The music started up and I tried to swallow, my mouth try. Phillip turned to face me and bowed. 'Come on, sister, let's dance.'

Sally and Simon were all emotional after I had danced with my brother and he had disappeared off with Walter to catch up, leaving Marcus behind. I hugged both of them and they smiled down at me, proudly before they were taken away by my father to be introduced to a few people.

 _'Have a holly jolly Christmas, it's the best time of the year_

 _I don't know if there'll be snow but have a cup of cheer_.'

Lucy grabbed my hand and pulled me back onto the dancefloor as the band sang the upbeat song.

 _'Have a holly jolly Christmas and when you walk down the street_

 _Say hello to friends you know and everyone you meet.'_

We spun around and I stumbled into someone. I turned to face them, ready to apologise, when I saw that it was Zed Benedict. In a tuxedo. I swallowed. 'Sorry.' I apologised, my cheeks reddening as I tried not to gawp at him. He looked good. Dangerously good.

His eyes met mine and his mouth dropped a little. Then he caught me off guard by bowing. 'Your highness, you look beautiful, even more than normal if that's possible.'

I raised an eyebrow at him, trying to calm my heart from the compliment he had paid me. 'What's with the formality?'

'I'm trying to impress your dad.' He replied, his voice sincere. I moved by eyes subtly to the left and saw that, indeed, The King was watching our exchange. 'Although really, I should be formal with you all the time.'

'Please don't.' I told him and I realised Marcus was watching us too, from the other side of the room. I tensed up and Zed glanced over his shoulder, narrowing his eyes at my now ex-boyfriend.

'What is he doing here?' Zed asked, his voice irritated.

'He's a family friend, sadly.' I sighed. 'Not that he's going to be one for much longer. I think Phil wants to punch him.'

'He and I both.' He grinned before frowning when he saw my worried expression. 'Don't let him ruin your night. You look beautiful and I'm sure he's thinking right now that he's made the biggest mistake of his life.'

'I don't know.'

'Well I do.' He smiled, his cocky smile returning and I shook my head at it. 'Come on, let's dance.' He held out his hand for me.

'No.'

'I'm not asking.' His smile was lopsided and I knew it was yet another argument with him that I was going to lose as his hand took mine and he pulled me to a free spot on the dancefloor. I glanced around for Lucy, feeling guilty, but then I realised she was talking and dancing with Yves across the room from us. The slow piano intro started up for the next song and I tensed, realising that it was a version of _All I want for Christmas is You_ , one similar to that sang by Lady Antebellum. Zed, however, didn't seem bothered. He placed a hand on the small of my back and my skin tingled through the fabric of my dress at his touch, sending goosebumps across my arms. His left hand took my right and his fingers locked around mine as I hesitantly put my left hand on his shoulder.

 _'I don't want a lot for Christmas_

 _There is just one thing I need_

 _I don't care about the presents_

 _Underneath the Christmas tree_.' We swayed in time to the music and I tried to ignore the fireworks feeling, the tingling, burning sensation of his skin touching mine. It was making it hard to concentrate.

 _'I just want you for my own_

 _More than you could ever know_

 _Make my wish come true_

 _All I want for Christmas is you, yeah.'_ I wondered if he felt the sensation too? I glanced up and saw his eyes were locked on mine, a smile I hadn't seen before on his face. He looked... happy? It wasn't a front. It was real.

 _'I don't want a lot for Christmas_

 _There is just one thing I need_

 _And I don't care about the presents_

 _Underneath the Christmas tree.'_ I blinked, looking away from him as we waltzed around the room in time to the music. I realised Marcus was watching us, an annoyed expression on my face. It made me smile. It served him right. He was the one who had broken things off and now I was dancing with the ridiculously good-looking Zed Benedict from _Seven Minutes in Heaven_. The one who I didn't want anything to do with. He had a bad boy reputation after all.

 _'I don't need to hang my stocking_

 _There upon the fireplace_

 _Santa Claus won't make me happy_

 _With a toy on Christmas Day.'_ My eyes glanced back up at Zed and he was still watching me with that smile. I glanced at his lips and licked my own without even realising it at first. Part of me wanted to kiss him but I knew that was the worst idea in the world. I didn't want anything to do with guys. Guys were jerks.

 _'I just want you for my own.'_ I was caught off guard by Zed's singing, bringing me back to reality. He was singing to me, in my ear as he held me closer. _'More than you could ever know_

 _Make my wish come true_

 _All I want for Christmas is you.'_

My heart was fluttering like a hummingbird's wings and my knees felt weak as we continued to waltz, our chests almost together. I swallowed, knowing in that moment exactly how all of those fan girls felt.

 _'Oh, all the lights are shining_

 _So brightly everywhere_

 _And the sound of children's_

 _Laughter fills the air.'_

He twirled me once and I put all of my concentration into not stumbling, not falling, as we passed Lucy. She raised her eyebrows at me and I knew she was going to wind me up about this later on. That much was obvious.

 _'And everyone is singing_

 _I hear those sleigh bells ringing_

 _Santa, won't you bring me the one I really need?_

 _Won't you please bring my baby to me?'_

He twirled me again and then pulled me back in closer, our chests together and his breath tickling my cheek, sending goosebumps in a wave over my skin once again. I sucked in a deep breath.

 _'Oh, I don't want a lot for Christmas_

 _This is all I'm asking for_

 _I just want to see my baby_

 _Standing right outside my door.'_

He caught me of guard, turning and lifting me up at the same time and I realised people staring as he put me back down again in one swift motion. He was a dancer and he'd clearly done this before.

 _'Oh, I just want you for my own_

 _More than you could ever know_

 _Make my wish come true_

 _Baby, all I want for Christmas is you.'_

The song ended and the crowd applauded as Zed released me. That was when I realised the applause wasn't just for the band. It was for Zed and I too. Our dance had looked like a flawless routine, something rehearsed, which it wasn't. I wiped my clammy hands on the tulle off my dress, subtly as Zed's grin widened. 'Not bad, eh?' He said, the cockiness making a reappearance.

I wanted to reply, but my father was walking over to us with Sally, Simon and a man and lady. From their tanned skin and dark hair and eyes, I knew they were Mr and Mrs Benedict. They were attractive, just like their sons (the ones I had met, anyway).

'Your majesty.' Zed's formality returned and he bowed, nerves removing the cockiness from his face immediately.

'Zed Benedict.' My father said, just as formal. He held out his hand for my classmate and Zed shook it with a firm grip.

'Mum, dad.' Zed looked at his parents, nodding at them. 'This is S... Her Royal Highness Princess Sky.' He'd slipped up, showing he was human. 'Sky, this is Saul and Karla Benedict... my parents.'

I held out my hand and shook the hands of Mr and Mrs Benedict. 'It is a pleasure to meet you both.'

'And us, you. We have heard lots of lovely things.' Saul Benedict said, a friendly smile on his face. Zed Benedict blushed and I almost wished I had a camera to capture the moment. I smiled, trying to hold back a giggle.

'Saul and Karla have been telling me us all about their lovely chalet in Morzine.' My father told us both. 'Although they failed to mention that you're a very talented dancer, Zed. You're in a band too, is that right?'

'Yes, sir... I mean your majesty.' Zed stuttered. Yes, I did quite enjoy watching him squirm, I decided.

'Well we've discussed the holiday and have come up with some arrangements for travel and security purposes.' My father turned to me now. 'Sally and Simon and I would feel a lot better if my two top security guards went with you to Morzine.'

'But-'

My father held up his hand. 'They will stay in the hotel next to the chalet so that you have your privacy, but you must understand Sky that you're a member of the royal family and we must keep you safe... which is why the jet will take you and Lucy to the airport.'

'The _jet?_ ' I blinked.

'It is a lot more secure than a normal airline apparently and that's very reassuring.' Sally piped up as my head felt overhwhelmed with the information being given.

'Erm okay.'

I needed some air after that, so I took myself off down the hallway and stood on one of the balconies which overlooked the gardens. A small sprinkling of snow covered the grass and flowers, making them almost glitter in the moonlight. I sighed as I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding. I leaned against the doorframe, which had been decorated with greenery and a large red ribbon, fairylights wound around it. The garden looked calm and peaceful below me, completely oblivious to the party going on in the main hall. I heard the music to _'Baby please come home'_ blaring through the speakers and I sighed, my breath coming out as steam in the cold air.

'What's up?' Zed appeared beside me, a worried look on his face. He reached out to touch my shoulder, his warm hand touching the ice. 'You're freezing!' He pulled off his jacket and in a quick sweep, wrapped it over my shoulders in a gentlemanly gesture which took me by surprise. Coming from him of all people.

'Ever just think that everything is getting a little bit overwhelming?'

'I know the feeling.' He gave a small smile. 'Although I'm sure it's worse for you. Finding out you're royal and have all these expectations must be pretty crap.. I mean... rubbish.'

'You know, I like this Zed better.' I told him, my blue eyes meeting his warm, dark eyes which reminded me of melted chocolate.

'What do you mean?'

'The nervous Zed. The one who worries about what he's saying and squirms a little. It's a lot better than cocky Zed. It makes you more human.'

'Most girls like cocky Zed.' He grinned at me and rolled my eyes.

'Well I'm not most girls.'

'You got that right.' He nodded, stepping closer to me, so close that I could smell his aftershave. 'You're a hard girl to impress, your highness.' He took my hand and glanced upwards, a smile on his face. Then I realised why he was smiling. Mistletoe hung above us. Just typical. He moved his face towards mine and I had a feeling he was going to kiss me. Did I want that?

'Zed-' His lips gently pressed against my cheek. A small brush of his lips which left a tingling sensation where they had been.

'I'm not going to kiss you.' He whispered to me, his eyes intense. 'Not until you ask me to.'


	12. Let it snow, let it snow

_**I just want to take this opportunity to say: MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! Have a lovely time with your family and friends and thank you to the reviewers who always put a smile on my face. A great Christmas present would be a few more please :-D**_

'Oh... my... god.' I stared at the jet in front of me, the jet that was in a private holding area at Heathrow airport. It was December 27th already and I couldn't believe how quickly Christmas had passed. Christmas eve had been spent with Sally and Simon and we'd baked, taken a long walk and had a nice takeaway dinner; our Christmas Eve tradition. Then they had joined me at the palace for a large, informal Christmas dinner with my family the following day. I'd been very spoilt. Sally and Simon had bought me a camera to take on holiday and then my new family, the royal one, had showered me with designer knitwear to take with me, a blue floral snowboard from Phillip (who must have been feeling optimistic) and then a simple diamond bracelet from my father. According to Zed, he too had a present for me but I would have to wait for it. Was it a kiss? I doubted it because I had to ask for one and I was sure I didn't want to kiss him. Almost one hundred percent sure... wasn't I?

Now I stood at Heathrow, beside Lucy, who was just in awe looking at the white jet as I was. We walked up the stairs past the attendants who bowed at us and I gawped at the interior; there were six leather recliner chairs, all with the Royal Crest embroidered into them. There was a large table, a mini fridge, a fancy-looking bathroom with shower and a large flatscreen television. And, as the attendant informed me, there was even onboard Wi-fi.

'This is awesome!' Lucy cooed, sitting down. 'Dad's had a few of these but he never let me use them!'

'Because it's ridiculous.' I told her, sitting beside her and fastening my seatbelt as the rest of our luggage was loaded on. I kicked off my warm snowboots, not needing them on the hour and a half flight to Geneva.

'Ridiculous but so cool!'

'What wasn't cool was having paparazzi out there, asking questions about Marcus and I.' I frowned.

'We can assure you that won't happen in Geneva. We have it covered.' Jose, one of my dad's security guys, piped up from the other side of the jet and I hoped he wasn't going to listen to all of our conversation.

'Who cares about you and Marcus, that's old news!' Lucy laughed. 'New news is you and Zed.'

I launched a cushion at her. 'There is no news.'

'I've seen the way he looks at you. Don't tell me there's no news.' She shook her head in disbelief and I rolled my eyes.'

'There is no news.'

Other than that he'd told me he wasn't going to kiss me until I asked. How arrogant was that? Like, why did he think I wanted to kiss him? I glanced out of the window as the plane started to move. This conversation was well and truly over.

The chalet in Morzine was an alpine fantasy with wooden walls and a carved wooden balcony which surrounded two sides of the chalet and it made the 75min journey by jeep from the airport worth it. Outside was a hot tub, over-looking the fir trees and the snow-covered trees. The main living area was open plan with three grey sofas, a fairisle rug and a modern domed fireplace. There was a large dining table with seats for 10 people and the kitchen was modern-looking, carved from granite. Downstairs there was also a small cinema room with a large sofa and three leather beanbags, pointed towards a large television screen. The five bedrooms were simple; three were double rooms with ensuite bathrooms and then there was a twin bedroom and one with bunk beds in it. Lucy and I were given the twin room with plush, white duvets and faux fur grey throws draped across the beds. There was a large wardrobe and a small dresser. I walked over to the window and struggled not to gawp; a beautiful mountain was outside, a mountain which looked like a backdrop, not something that was real.

'Great, isn't it?' Lucy beamed. 'I can't believe you've never been to the alps before! They're totally awesome!'

'They are.' I said, finding myself agreeing with her for the first time that day. I didn't hesitate to unpack and I shrugged off the _chalet girls_ who had tried to help with doing so. They'd been over-the-top with calling me 'your highness' ever since I'd stepped through the door and into the arms of Karla, who had been very happy to see Lucy and I. The males were on the slopes and wouldn't be home until it was time for dinner, so she made us hot chocolates whilst we unpacked and then we met her in the living room, in front of the perfect, warm fireplace.

'Here you are.' She passed Lucy and I each a thick, hot chocolate with marshmallows. I knew it was made from melted chocolate and my mouth watered in appreciation.

'Mmm this is delicious.' I told her as I sipped the chocolate.

'A french specialty.' Karla gave me a smile as warm as the chocolate. 'Did you girls have a good flight?'

'In Sky's dad's jet? Definitely!' Lucy grinned from behind the floral Cath Kidston mug she was holding. My eyes followed Sophia and Rozina, the two Chalet girls, as they moved around the kitchen preparing soup and bread. It smelt delicious, although I would have quite happily had some more of Karla's hot chocolate. Then my eyes moved to the door where my security were hovering outside, probably looking quite obvious as they refused to wear anything but their warm, black uniforms. Bringing Ciara and coaxing her into wearing something relaxed and subtle wouldn't have been so bad after all.

'You must thank your father for inviting us to the party the other night.' Karla said to me, her voice soft like silk. 'We had a really lovely time.'

I blushed. Other than Marcus' irritated looks and aura of jealousy surrounding him, I'd had a lovely time to with Lucy and with Zed... he was a pretty good dancer, as he'd shown me for more than one song. 'It was a good night.' I agreed, my voice small and I kicked Lucy in the shin as she wiggled her eyebrows at me when Karla wasn't looking.

The sound of the door opening brought our attention away from the small-talk, as did the booming of male voices. I suddenly wondered if I looked okay in my short brown pleated wool skirt, cream tights and cream cashmere jumper. My messy bun probably wasn't its best look, that was for sure, and I hardly had on any make-up.

'Hey girls!' Saul boomed, appearing first. He shrugged out of his ski jacket and Karla took it from him as he kissed her forehead in a cute, romantic gesture. It made me smile. 'Did you have a good flight?'

'Yes thank you.' Lucy and I chorused, politely. My best friend's eyes lit up as Nate walked into the room in his O'Neill snowboarding gear. He gave her a peck on the lips in greeting and they both blushed when they realised we were watching them. Yves walked in next and waved at me before Zed followed him in, shrugging off his ski jacket.

'Hey.' He said, a huge smile beaming on his face, one which was contagious.

'Hello.' I replied, nervously. He looked the part in his snowboarding gear and despite the fact that it wasn't as tight-fitting as it could have been, he still looked hot. _Really_ hot. And not just because his cheeks were flushed from the cold.

'Get changed for dinner.' Karla commanded them all. 'Remember, your father and I are going out tonight so we'd like to eat before we go.' They were going out? I shot Lucy a questionnable look and she simply shrugged in response as the men went off to get changed out of their snow gear.

Dinner was delicious and I wasn't expecting three courses. It meant that, unfortunately, I didn't touch dessert. By the time we'd had homemade soup with bread and then the stew with dumplings, my body was refusing to eat anything else. Karla and Saul headed straight off after dinner and the chalet girls cleaned up before disappearing off to some Apres Ski bar in town.

'So are we going to watch a movie?' Lucy suggested as Yves picked up his book and left the living room area. I wiggled my toes in front of the fire, enjoying the warmth of them.

'I've got a better idea.' I glanced up to see Zed holding a beer. 'Beer anyone?'

'Sure.' Nate nodded and Zed opened a bottle before passing it to him.

'Ladies?' Lucy nodded and I felt obliged to do the same. He passed us each a bottle, but he didn't sink down beside us. 'The night is still young.'

'So what do you suggest?' I asked, wondering what on earth he had in mind.

'Mate, our single came out today! I completely forgot!' Nate held up his iPad showing a screenshot of the music video for the first _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ single, _Don't Stop._

'How's it doing?' Zed asked, walking over to the iPad with interest.

'Number 9 in the iTunes chart. Not a bad start. Is it weird to watch the music video?'

'Yes.' Zed shuddered as Lucy snatched the iPad from her boyfriend.

'It's not weird if Sky and I watch it though.' She smiled, patting the space beside her. I sank into the sofa next to her and sipped at my beer as the video started. They were all stood on the roof of a building in London, the London skyline behind them, and their instruments were there like a gig on the rooftop. The video was simple but effective; they played and sang and the girls in the video did their best dancing, including dancing up against Zed as he sang, which made me swallow. He looked hot and the dancer was crazily pretty with masses of brunette hair and very long legs. I was completely dumpy in comparison.

'Well?' Nate glanced up as the video finished.

'It's good.' Lucy smiled and I nodded in agreement.

'Sooo...Hot tub?' Zed said, changing the subject.

Lucy bit her lip across from me and I didn't need to be a mind-reader to know she was picturing Nate shirtless because I was picturing Zed shirtless. I had an idea of what he looked like without a shirt, but I didn't know whether I was right or wrong. I smiled across at Lucy before looking at Zed. 'Sure.' His eyebrows shot up in surprise and I knew he wasn't expecting me to say yes.

I turned on my heels and walked off to the bedroom to get changed. It was going to be freezing outside and that was clear from the knee-deep snow, so I changed into my new black bikini, the one that gave me a nice bust, and then I pulled on my fluffy white robe over the top for warmth. Then I grabbed my beer and headed out onto the decking. Lucy and Nate hadn't yet got there, but Zed was already sat in the water with his beer bottle in his hand. I swallowed. I could see his tanned, bare, muscular shoulders and the top of his chest poking out of the water as he turned in response to the door closing. The smile that swept across his face was cocky and I bit my tongue to stop myself making a comment. I didn't want to fight with him, not when he'd kindly invited me on holiday, allowing me to have my first ever experience of another country.

'Bonjour.' He said, his French accent en pointe.

'Bonsoir.' I corrected, giving him my best cocky smile in response. I untied my robe and draped it over the railings. When I turned back Zed was looking at me. Gawping even. His mouth hung open and then he swallowed before trying to cover up his reaction with another cocky smile. The cold air made my body tingle unpleasantly and I slipped into the hot tub, enjoying the warm sensation as I took a swig of my beer in my seat across from him. 'I thought I'd told you already that I like you a lot better without the cockiness.' I told him, trying to shake out some of the tension that had built up in my shoulders as I let them sink under the water.

'But I like the cockiness. It's who I am.'

'That might be what your girlfriend thinks but I see past it.' I looked at him, warily.

'My girlfriend?' He raised an eyebrow and took another swig of beer.

'Savannah, queen of mini skirts and low-cut tops.'

He chuckled at my bitterness. 'Are you jealous?'

'Of course not.' I tutted. 'I have standards and don't believe in dressing like a hussey to get a guy's attention.'

'Well she's not my girlfriend.' He shrugged. 'Figured you knew that. We've just had a few flings but they're well and truly over now, although I'm not sure she gets that.'

'Flings?' I narrowed my eyes at him. 'I don't know how you can do that to a girl. Just use her without actually caring about her feelings. Are you against girlfriends or something?'

'Of course not.' He looked a little hurt. 'I'd happily have a girlfriend, if she was the right girl and wanted a serious relationship.' He scooted over so that he was closer to me and I sucked in a deep breath as he stared at me with yet another intense expression. Just then, Lucy and Nate appeared in the doorway in their swimwear and they squealed as the cold air hit their skin. They ran and jumped into the hot tub beside us, moving us on from heart-to-hearts or intense stares.

I woke up earlier than planned the next day with Lucy still sleeping in her twin bed beside me. I showered and pulled on jeans and a light blue fairisle print warm jumper and I walked into the living area. The chalet girls weren't there but there was a note from them about going to the boulangerie. I opened up my laptop and was surprised to see an e-mail from the palace photographer with the subject line: Christmas Party. I opened the e-mail and looked at the pictures attached, the ones which would never be released to the public. There was a picture of Lucy and I dancing and then another of us posing together, looking more glamorous. There was a picture of Phillip and I together, laughing like a brother and sister should. Then there was the picture that made my breath catch in my throat; Zed and I dancing together, eyes locked on each other. It was next to another photo, where he had lifted me in the dance and we had both laughed.

'Those are lovely photographs.' Karla's voice caught me off guard and I jumped slightly.

'Thank you.' I replied with a smile.

'You're an early riser.' She commented, moving to the kitchen. 'I'm afraid there won't be any breakfast yet.'

'That's okay.' I closed my laptop, feeling a little embarrassed that Zed's mum had caught me staring at a photo of her son and I.

'Can I get you a drink?'

'I'm fine thanks.' I told her, standing up. 'I might actually go and check out the view. It's so pretty out there and I bet even more so now it's light.'

'Our own slice of heaven.' She replied and she turned to make a coffee.

I slipped my feet into the trendy suede-style snowboots I'd got for Christmas, the ones with the fur inside to keep my feet warm, and I slipped on my cream jacket with the fur-trim hood, before walking out onto the decking. I stood for a moment, taking in the surroundings. We'd arrived as it was getting dark the previous day, but this morning you could see everything clearly, the snow sparkling like glitter in the morning sunlight. The chalet was tucked into the hillside so gave a view of town at the end of a snow-shovelled track. A few people laughed as they sledged past us down the fresh slope on the right of the house, towards the twinkling Christmas lights that still hung over the alpine buildings and the large hotel in the distance. I snapped a quick photo of my view, although I knew it wouldn't do it justice, before uploading to Facebook and then to my Instagram page.

 _Can't believe this is my first time in France. It's so beautiful here!_

'Morning.' Zed's voice made me jump and I turned to see him stood in a tight pair of black skinny jeans, a grey jumper and his leather jacket, black ankle boots on his feet. His fashion choice was a lot more Zed-like than his black ski trousers and blue ski jacket the previous day.

'Hey.' I said from where I was leaning against the wooden railing, watching the beautiful scenery in front of me.

'Did you sleep well?' He ran his hand over the snowboard he'd propped up on his way out. It was black and then I realised it had Luke Skywalker and Darth Vadar's epic lightsaber battle on it.

'I did.' I nodded. 'Really cool snowboard.' I walked over and ran my fingers along the design. It must have been personalised as the initials 'Z.B' were marked into it. Pricey.

'You like Star Wars?' He looked surprised. 'I'm impressed.'

'I told you I'm not like other girls.' I gave him a small smile. 'There's still a lot you don't know.'

'I look forward to finding it out.' Cue cocky smile. He pushed the newly fallen snow off of the railing decking where he was stood at the same time as I scooped up my own handful, a small smile on my face; a cunning smile. I balled the snowball up and launched it at him, hitting him on the cheek. 'Oi!' He grabbed some snow and launched it at me but I ducked as I ran off the decking and into the thick snow, Zed chasing me. I wasn't used to running in snow, however, and it wasn't long before he caught me, knocking me to the ground. We both laughed, Zed leaning over me and I swallowed. His body was warm against mine and our faces were so close I could feel his minty breath on my face. It would have been easy to kiss him there and then. Our lips were almost touching and his eyes were locked on mine as if trying to read my facial expression.

'Zed! Sky! Breakfast's ready!' Karla called out and I blushed, realising she'd caught us in an interesting position.

Zed didn't move at first. He smiled down at me before getting up all too suddenly, pulling me to my feet. 'Great, I'm starved!'

'So any news on the Zed front?' Lucy quizzed me after breakfast, whilst we changed into our snowboarding gear (not that I planned on snowboarding). She adjusted the base layers she was wearing and pulled on her pink ski pants, her cream bobble hat and a scarf over her white and turquoise ski jacket.

Any news? Only that we'd almost kissed for the second time. 'None.' I told her. I pulled on my own ski pants, the purple designer ones I'd been given for Christmas, and then I zipped up my light blue and lilac tie-dye ski jacket over my faux fur cream scarf, which managed the faux fur cream headband keeping my ears warm.

'You look like you've done this before. Stylish and cosy.' Lucy commented as she grabbed her red and white polkadot snowboard.

'I wish.' My stomach churned with nerves. I glanced at the light blue snowboard with the white flowers and a white royal crest marked on it. It was so pretty, but I couldn't ride it.

'You'll be fine.' She gave me a reassuring smile and disappeared. It was safe for her to say. Or for any of our friends to say. For most of them, skiing or snowboarding was second nature and they'd done it since they were kids, coming to the Alps or another ski resort since they could walk. I was missing years of practise and the coordination required. I carried the snowboard into the living room where everyone else was waiting in their gear, the gear that was making me swelter in the warm chalet. Karla and Saul headed off first, with their skis, and then the rest of us set off into the cold air, which I didn't feel thanks to the warm layers.

'Nice board.' Zed commented as we walked towards town, where the chairlift was. He passed me my lanyard lift pass and I hooked it over myself, tucking it under my jacket so that people couldn't see my name. Especially as it had my 'new' titled name, like my passport did. It was embarassing really. I glanced behind us, where my two security details hovered, dressed in warm, black clothes, earpieces in and sunglasses on. 'Is it weird having security follow you everywhere?' Zed asked.

'Weird and ridiculous. I'm perfectly safe.' I stumbled on the ground and he caught me with a lopsided smile.

'Perfectly.' He chuckled. 'But if you don't mind, I'd quite like to lose them later.'

We reached the chairlift and I looked up in awe, watching the chairs disappearing up to the mountain top. I tensed. 'I'll meet you all down here?' Lucy gave me a sympathetic smile and then she, Nate and Yves made their way into the line.

'Come on, you can't hide down here.' Zed said, leaning against his board. 'The slopes are calling.'

'To you maybe, but not to me.' I wrinkled up my nose and wondered if I was pale. I felt like I was going to throw up and that wasn't exactly positive or reassuring. 'I've never skiied or snowboarded before.'

'You should've said.' His voice softened, as did the look he was giving me.

'It's lame.' I replied. 'Hasn't everyone at school been on a ski holiday at least twice?'

'I don't know.' He shrugged. 'But you're on one now and I'm going to teach you to snowboard.'

'With my coordination? Good luck!'

'Yeah, your coordination isn't great.' He laughed, a sound which sent goosebumps across my skin. 'But I like a challenge.'

I sighed and put down my board, placing my feet into the strapped bindings. I bent down to secure them but Zed stopped me, swooping in and tightening them himself. 'Thanks.'

He stood up, a friendly smile on his face. 'Does that feel stable?'

'I guess? I don't know how it's meant to feel.' I blushed.

'It's okay.' He gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. 'Now snowboarding requires a lot of balance.'

'That's what worries me.' My heart hammered against my chest and my mouth felt dry. Despite all of the snow around me, I felt hot too.

'I'm going to hold your hand, you'll be fine.' He pulled me along to a small slope, where a few beginners were being shown the ropes by the instructors. Then he sat down and secured his own bindings before getting up like a pro. I wasn't surprised he was good at this. 'Okay, turn your snowboard so that the lead end of the board is pointing down the hill.' He showed me want to do and then I copied him carefully. 'Good now apply some pressure to your lead foot to encourage the board to move forward.' He took both of my hands in his and he started to move on cue, pulling me with him. I squealed as we started to both and he chuckled. 'Bend your knees a little and keep your back straight as it maintains your speed.' He told me and we moved quicker down the small hill, reaching the bottom and coming to a natural stop. 'See, that wasn't so bad, was it?'

'I guess not.'

'So now let's head on up there.' He signalled to the top of the hill and my eyes widened. It was going to be a long day. We headed up in the chairlift and I admired the view below as the buildings in Morzine seemed to get smaller, as did the people skiing and snowboarding down the slope. We reached the top and Zed slid off as did I, but I managed to stumble. Thankfully he caught me and laughed when he did so. 'We'll start with the beginner's slope, okay?' He told me.

'I feel like I'm ruining your fun.' I frowned as we slid to the top of the beginner's slope. 'You can go off with the others, don't let me hold you back.'

'You're not.' He smiled. 'Believe it or not, I'm actually quite enjoying this.'

'What, watching me fail?'

'Saving a damsel in distress.' He teased. 'Right, it's not that far down. Are you ready?'

I glanced at the resort below us and I sucked in a deep breath. 'As I'll ever be.'

He took my gloved hands in his and then we were off, slowly snowboarding down the mountainside, hand in hand. He let go, still staying by my side but letting me glide solo. That was when I started to wobble. I grabbed his arm and we both fell, this time me on top of him.

'Sorry!' I apologised, my cheeks flushing red.

'If you wanted to be on top, all you had to do was ask.' He said cockily, cocky smile returning.

'Eugh.' I rolled my eyes and pushed myself off of him as a child raced past me on skis. They made it all look so damn easy. 'I think that's enough snowboarding for today.'

'So are you kids off to the Teen disco in town later?' Karla asked as we tucked into the lasagne Sophia and Rozina had prepared for us. They refilled Karla and Saul's wine glass and then left us to dinner.

'Yeah, sure.' Zed nodded and Nate gave a small smile in agreement.

'What about you, son?' Saul turned to Yves, who had been even quieter than normal. 'Your last night here and all?' I glanced over at Yves. I'd forgotten he was heading back to London for some work experience.

'I think I'll get an early night.' Yves replied with a thoughtful smile. 'Don't want to miss my flight.'

The idea of Apres Ski was an interesting one I'd heard of many times; there were Apres Ski bars in England, for goodness sake- just so that people could drink without needing an excuse. What it did mean, though, was that people often headed to the bars and clubs straight from the slopes so it wasn't black tie attire. Instead, people wore comfy knits and boots. Lucy had convinced me to wear the leather-look leggings I'd bought before we'd headed out to Morzine, the ones I wasn't sure suited me. I wore them with an off-the-shoulder cream jumper and I pulled my hair out of its bun, letting it fall in loose curls over my shoulders. Lucy had gone for a sparkly gold jumper with a ribbon-tied back and a pair of leggings with her boots, her hair pin-straight and down too. We both applied a little make-up and then we met Nate and Zed in the living room.

'You kids have fun and be careful.' Karla said with a friendly smile as she looked up from the film she was watching.

'Sure mum.' Zed nodded. We grabbed our coats and slipped them on, venturing out into the cold.

'Please tell me we're not actually going to this Teen Disco.' Nate groaned as we walked towards the town centre, fairy lights lighting our way. I folded my arms across my chest as I shivered in the cold, my feet crushing against the snow.

'Of course not.' Zed laughed and Lucy and I glanced at him in confusion.

'What's wrong with the disco?' I asked.

'Nothing if you don't mind hanging out with twelve and thirteen year-olds all night.'

'So where are we going?'

Zed grinned. 'Shooters. Where else?'

Shooters looked like all of the other Apres Ski bars in Morzine, only a little bigger. Our coats were hung in the cloakroom and we walked inside the cosy bar. The bar had two floors, one with the main bar and a dancefloor and the other formed a balcony around the outside, with two smaller bars. A disco ball and disco lights hung from the ceiling and fairylights were wound around the balcony barriers and onto the beams below. It was clear that the partygoers here were age 18 plus and I was surprised we'd got in without even being asked for ID.

'Drink?' Zed asked, grabbing my hand.

'Sure.' I smiled back and he and Nate headed to the bar.

'This is so cool!' Lucy beamed from beside me as my two security guards tried to hide their disapproving looks from several feet away.

'It's fine as long as we go unrecognised.' I replied.

'Might be too late for that.' She nodded towards the bar where a girl was stroking Zed's bicep through the cotton of his plaid shirt. The red head was fluttering her eyelashes at him as she laughed at something he said and I frowned, my stomach churning. What was this feeling?

'She might not realise he's from _Seven Minutes in Heaven_.' I replied, quietly. 'The first single has only been out a day.'

'Hmm, you're right, Zed's used to this kind of attention.' She wrinkled her nose. 'Promise me you won't go into a relationship with him. He just uses girls and throws them away when he's done. I don't want that to happen to you.'

'It won't, trust me.' I gave her a smile as the boys walked back over, Zed's new friend still practically attached to his arm.

He handed me a lemonade and clinked his glass against mine. 'Cheers.' I took a sip and my eyes widened; vodka. _I thought I'd stop the disapproving looks from your father's men... at least until later._ He said into my head.

 _What's with your new friend?_ I glanced at the girl with her emerald green eyes and she narrowed them at me. Charming.

 _Jealous?_

 _No, of course not!_ Liar, I told myself.

'Clara, this is my girlfriend, Sky.' Zed said, introducing me to the redhead.

My eyes widened. _Girlfriend?_

'Girlfriend?' Clara looked taken aback. Embarassed maybe. Zed pressed his lips to my forehead, a gesture which gave me goosebumps and made my breath catch. Clara shifted uncomfortably and then disappeared without a word as my heart raced in my ribcage.

I didn't have time to calm down. Lucy squealed at the next song came on, dragging me towards the dancefloor. 'Come on! It's our song!' We had many songs, apparently, but _Shake it Off_ by Taylor Swift just happened to be the one at that moment of time.

A second vodka lemonade and a shot later and I was more than happy to be dancing. To every single song as drunk skiiers danced (and sang out of tune) around us. _Worth It_ by Fifth Harmony played and Lucy and I danced together, shaking our hips and doing our best sexy girlband dance moves. In my mind, I looked like a Pussycat Doll but I was pretty sure that wasn't the case in reality. I glanced over to the bar and realised Zed was watching me, a small smile on his face. He held up his drink and then downed it just as the song finished. Then, catching us off guard, _Don't Stop_ started to play and people around us cheered and started to sing and dance. Lucy and I giggled and looked over at the guys as we sang and danced along. They frowned in response and ordered another drink. After the first chorus, we decided we'd probably embarassed them enough. We walked over to join them and I swiped Zed's drink from his hand, finishing it myself.

I coughed. 'What on earth was _that?_ '

'Whiskey. Nice work princess.' He grinned down at me as I caught my breath back. 'I didn't take you as a whiskey girl.'

'You don't know me as well as you think you do, Mr Benedict.' I shoved his chest playfully with my hand, although I couldn't help but think how nice it felt. He caught my hand in his and held it there for a moment, allowing me to feel his heartbeat. I sucked in a deep breath, losing myself in his eyes and then there were his lips. He ran his tongue across them and I swallowed.

 _'This hit_

 _That ice cold_

 _Michelle Pfeiffer_

 _That white gold!'_ Lucy loudly sang the lyrics, jabbing me in the waist with her finger and bringing me back to reality. She grabbed my wrist and dragged me back to the dancefloor, the boys following us this time. After singing a quadret (was that a word?) to _Uptown Funk_ , the song changed to _Can't Feel My Face_ by The Weeknd and Lucy wrapped her arms around Nate's neck, dancing with him. I'd lost my dance partner and now I was stood looking awkward next to Zed.

 _'And I know she'll be the death of me, at least we'll both be numb_

 _And she'll always get the best of me, the worst is yet to come.'_

'Want to dance?' Zed asked, turning to face me.

'Is it a question or a command?' I looked at him, curiously.

'A question.' He gave me his sexy lopsided smile that made the fangirls, and now me, swoon.

'Sure!' I replied probably over-enthusiastically thanks to the alcohol and he laughed, placing his hands on my hips. I swallowed. I'd forgotten it was a very different kind of dancing to the waltz.

 _'But at least we'll both be beautiful and stay forever young_

 _This I know, this I know.'_

I placed my hands on his shoulders and moved in time to the music with Zed, swaying my hips.

 _'She told me, "Don't worry about it."_

 _She told me, "Don't worry no more."_

 _We both knew we can't go without it_

 _She told me you'll never be alone-oh-oh, whoa.'_

He pulled me closer and I sucked in a deep breath as my hearts raced, our bodies pressed against each other.

 _'I can't feel my face when I'm with you_

 _But I love it, but I love it, oh_

 _I can't feel my face when I'm with you_

 _But I love it, but I love it, oh.'_

Zed had good rhythm, which wasn't surprising when he was a musician, and he kept us dancing in time to the beat, even when I felt my knees were going to go weak because of his chocolatey eyes or his perfect smile. I found myself wondering whether we were just friends or we were supposed to be more. What was it he called us? Soulfinders? He'd not mentionned it in a while and I wondered if he'd kept quiet so that I didn't feel pressured. I thought of Karla and Saul, who I knew were both savants, and I wondered if they were soulfinders. That was something I wanted to ask, but now wasn't the time. He was watching me with a smile playing on his lips as we danced together in time to the music. Was I leading him on? Or did I want something to happen? I thought about his lips and that was when I realised something; whether it led to something or not, Zed Benedict was handsome and sexy. And I wanted to kiss him.

The song ended, but he didn't let go. He held my hips in place as he continued to stare down at me, as if he was trying to read my mind but I wouldn't let him. One of his hands moved to touch my hair gently, his touch instantly sending goosebumps down my neck and spine. I moved a hand to gently caress his cheek, stroking the stubble, and he visibly swallowed as he looked down at me.

And then, before I could stop myself, I whispered, 'kiss me.'


	13. Baby it's cold outside

Zed pressed his lips to my forehead and I felt taken aback. I'd asked him to kiss me and he'd wanted to wait until I asked. So why on earth had he just kissed my forehead and not my lips? My cheeks flushed and I wanted the ground to swallow me whole. I looked down, embarrassed, but Zed's finger lifted my chin so that I had to look at him.

'Believe me, I really want to kiss you.' He said, his eyes sincere. 'But you and I have had a lot to drink... hell, I'm surprised I've stopped myself from giving in. I'm better at restraining myself than I thought.' He caressed my cheek, gently. 'Ask me again when we're both sober.'

'Dude, have you seen the time?!' Nate interrupted us and I blinked, stepping away from Zed and putting some space between us. 'It's midnight! The teen disco finished like half an hour ago.'

'Ah, shit.' Zed cursed and I realised he was blushing, possibly because of the moment Nate had interrupted. He turned back to face me. 'We'd better go.'

We hurried as quick as we could, back through the thick snow. It wasn't easy and it made my legs even more tired than they already were from hitting the slopes earlier that day. When we arrived back at the chalet, thankfully there was no sign of Karla or Saul. We crept in, said our goodnights and headed straight to bed.

A knock on the door woke us the next day and I groaned, rolling over. Boy did my legs ache from the previous day. There was another knock and I squinted as Karla walked in, a stressed look on her face. 'Good morning.' She said, sounding equally stressed.

'It's too early.' Lucy mumbled from under her pillow and I lobbed mine and her to make myself feel better.

'It's ten o'clock girls. I'm sorry to wake you but the party planner is here and wants to start sorting out decorations.'

'Party planner?' I rubbed my eyes and realised I'd not taken off my make-up. Oops.

'For my party this evening.' She smiled although it was clear she was still stressed out. And that was why. A lot of important clients were attending the party, so Zed had told me, and we were expected to attend too. It struck me suddenly; she wanted us out so that she could rearrange the furniture and make everything perfect. Of course.

I nudged Lucy. 'Come on, let's get up.'

'I don't want to snowboard today.' She mumbled.

'The boys were going to take you to the waterpark I think.' Karla smiled.

Waterpark? The idea was chilling as I cleaned myself up and made myself presentable. I slipped on my warm black skinny jeans and a baggy blue wool jumper, enjoying the cosiness it gave me, and I tied my hair up, trying to ignore the headache brewing. I was hungover and I needed caffiene and possibly some paracetmol. I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a croissant, eating it carefully over the plate so that I didn't make a mess on the recently polished floor. Lucy appeared shortly after and grabbed a cereal, almost pouring orange juice into the bowl.

'How am I so tired?' She whispered as Karla and Saul spoke to a lady in a suit across the room from us.

'Please tell me your head hurts too?' I whispered as I sipped my coffee.

'Majorly, although you're the one that downed whiskey. Paracetmol?' She winced.

'In my bag.' I was also the one that asked Zed to kiss me too. I cringed at the memory of it. How mortifying. Clearly I couldn't be trusted around drink.

'Ready to go?' Zed called as he walked into the room, seeming surprisingly cheery considering the amount that he had to drink last night. But then maybe he'd had a lot of coffee or was just used to it?

'Yep.' Lucy grabbed her coat and pulled it on, grabbing her bag packed for swimming too. I hurried to keep up, eating my croissant as we headed out of the door, leaving Mr and Mrs Benedict to prepare for their fancy party.

Thankfully _Aqua,_ the waterpark, was indoors, apart from a small heated pool and water rapids which seemed to travel through the snow, steam coming off of it. The waterpark itself was in a giant room similar to a conservatory with large, glass windows over-looking the snow-covered tree tops outside and the valley below. It had a somewhat tropical theme with bouldered areas and palm trees dotted around the various pools. There were several jacuzzis dotted around, nestled in amongst the fake rocks, and there was a large pool for swimming. There was a rock-climbing wall next to the water with ropes, so that you could climb or swing and then throw yourself into the deep, blue water. Then there were the slides; a racing set of slides lined up next to each other, a few tube slides and The Slidewinder, a slide for two people in inflatable rings, where you travelled down a halfpipe. We spent four hours at the waterpark in total, racing each other on the slides (Lucy and I trying not to lose our bikinis) and I was quite enjoying eyeing-up Zed Benedict's muscular biceps and slight six-pack. Then there was the chilled time in the jacuzzis overlooking the beautiful snowy view and my failed attempts at climbing the climbing wall.

After we'd showered, dried and dressed, we met in the lobby area and headed to a cafe nearby for lunch. We ordered bread and soup, perfect on the cold day.

'So did you enjoy the waterpark?' Zed asked as I sipped a much-needed hot chocolate. I was going to end up fat on their thick, creamy hot chocolates by the time we got home.

'Yeah it was good.' Lucy nodded. She broke her bread into pieces and dipped it carefully into the soup. My phone buzzed in my pocket and I felt guilty when I realised I hadn't checked it all day. There were loads of Instagram likes of the photo of Lucy and I sat in the hot tub on our first night, grinning, and then I saw the 3 missed calls from Marcus. And the text.

 _I've made a horrible mistake, please can we talk? Things aren't the same without you xx_

I stiffened and Zed glanced up at me, obviously realising.

 _What is it?_ He asked, our own private conversation.

 _Nothing._ I lied and I smiled at him, but I knew he hadn't bought it.

We finished our lunch and Nate whisked Lucy off for a date as it was still too early to go back to the house. That was fine by me. Lucy had made sure I hadn't been a gooseberry and she'd made sure I hadn't been stuck by myself too long with Zed, but I was starting to feel guilty about it because it meant she and Nate hadn't spent much time just the two of them. I slipped my gloves back on and glanced at Zed as snow fell lightly over us. It was pretty magical.

'So are you going to tell me what's going on?' Zed asked, his brown eyes staring into mine again when we were left alone. A few teenagers passed us laughing and two girls glanced at him as if recognising who he was. So far, in my winter gear, I was coming across as a normal teenage girl. Thank goodness.

'I'm fine.' I replied, using another smile to cover the anxiety I was experiencing over Marcus trying to get in contact. My phone buzzed again so, frustrately, I turned it off.

'Aren't you going to get that?'

'It's not important.'

His eyes moved over my face and he let out a sigh in frustration. 'Well we can't go home yet because I'm sure my mother is still running around in panic. I guess you're stuck with me for a few more hours.' He gave a small smile. 'How's your ice-skating?'

'Couldn't tell you.' I said, feeling the heat in my cheeks.

His eyes widened in disbelief. 'You've never been?'

'With my coordination, are you surprised?' I gave a small smile.

'Well then, there's definitely something we've got to change.'

The ice rink wasn't far from the chairlift and was surrounded by a barrier, stopping people from skating off onto the snow. There was a large, sparkling Christmas tree in the middle and music played as a few people skated across the ice, some dancing like figure skaters. It made me nervous. They all looked like confident skaters, even the girl on the ice who must have been about ten. Zed paid for us both, despite my arguing, and we put on our skates, tying them securely over the thick socks we were both wearing. I stood up and wobbled on the blade.

'Maybe this isn't such a good idea.' I said to Zed as he led the way to the rink, once again like a pro.

He stepped out onto the ice and held out his hands for me. 'Just trust me.' He said with his signature lopsided smile.

'Trust? That's deadly, isn't it?' I teased and he rolled his eyes. I took his hands and he pulled me onto the ice, making me squeal as I skidded into him.

'Steady!' He laughed as I face-planted his chest. 'Or is this just a ploy to get close to me?'

'Mmm you wish.' It was my turn to roll my eyes. I pushed back from him and he led me over to the side.

'Have you ever been rollerblading?' He asked as I held onto the plastic barrier for safety.

'Nope.'

'Ah, they're quite similar.' He moved me away from the side and I tensed. 'You need to keep your body loose and relaxed otherwise it's a lot harder to skate. Just watch me.' He whizzed off in a quick lap, moving perfectly, gliding across the ice. I groaned. Was there anything Zed Benedict wasn't good at? Really?

'Show off.' I teased.

'If you think that was showing off, you've not seen anything yet.' He grinned. 'Okay, a bit like with snowboarding, you have to bend your knees and even though you'll want to lean back, don't because you'll fall on your bum and this ice isn't quite as comfy as the snow. Try to keep leaning forwards.'

'Is this a ploy to get a better shot of my bum?'

'I've seen plenty of good views of your bum today.' His cocky smile returned and I blushed. Had he been staring at my bum at the waterpark? He'd been pretty subtle about it if he had. 'Okay, are you ready?'

I watched as the ten-year-old girl fell to the ground. 'I don't think so.'

'I won't let you go.' He held his gloved hands out for me again. 'I promise.' I glanced up at his warm brown eyes as his cocky smile became a friendly one, a cute one that I was really starting to like. It wasn't _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ Zed. Sure, he still wore his signature leather jacket and black skinny jeans, but this Zed was actually caring and funny. He was a nice guy, a gentleman. Even if he didn't want to admit it. I took his hands and he smiled down at me, starting to skate backwards, but holding onto me. 'Move your legs.' He chuckled. 'I can't just pull you around all afternoon.' I started to move my legs, gliding and then he pulled me to him, stopping. I crashed into his chest, not that I minded. He didn't smell of cigarettes that day. Just aftershave and shower gel. It was a good smell. 'Okay, now we're going to try a lap.' My eyes widened and he caught a snowflake as it landed on my cheek. Even with gloves on, the sweet gesture sent fireworks across my skin and I wanted just to pull him towards me and kiss him.

I realised he was waiting for an answer and I took a deep breath to slow the pace of my heart. 'A lap sounds good.'

Surprisingly I'd managed not to fall over my whole time skating, but that was mainly because I'd clung onto Zed for dear life. And he'd kept his promise; he hadn't let go. We beat Lucy and Nate back to the house, so I ducked into my bedroom to turn on my phone in private as Zed helped his dad move some furniture for the party. I turned it back on to see one more missed call from Marcus since I'd turned the phone off two hours ago. I put it on the bedside table as I repainted my chipped nails to match the dress I was wearing and then my phone buzzed again. I hesitated, but knew I had to answer it otherwise it was going to continue ringing over and over again.

'Yes?'

'Sky, it's me.' Marcus said, his voice only just clear enough to make out what he was saying.

'I guessed by the missed calls.' I replied, adding a sparkly coat to the top of my pale pink nails. I tucked the phone between my shoulder and ear as I spoke, but then it fell so I settled for putting it on speakerphone.

'I made an awful mistake, Sky. I know we're both busy but I want to make time for you... for _us_ because well... I love you. I knew I did but then I spoke to Phillip and I just realised how much. He said I'd hurt you and that hurt me. I didn't want to hurt you.'

'But you did.' My eyes brimmed with tears.

'It was wrong of me to expect you to love me so soon, Sky. It's still early days and I'm sure you will feel the same, one day, I just have to give you that chance to feel the way I do about you... the goosebumps when we touch... the fireworks when we kiss.'

I blinked as realisation dawned. Goosebumps when we touch? I'd not felt those with Marcus. Sure I'd felt loved and a little giddy, but there hadn't been goosebumps and the fireworks had long fizzled out. I swallowed. What could I say? I hadn't thought about him since the Christmas party and even then it had only been anger. 'Look, Mark, I'm on holiday in the alps at the moment...'

'With Zed.' His voice sounded hurt.

'And Lucy.' I added in, although I wasn't sure why. So what if I was away with Zed? Was it his business?

'He's not good for you, Sky. He's a player, a womaniser, your stereotype bad boy. He'll never treat you the way I can, he'll hurt you.'

'Like you did?' My voice was quiet and I sounded young, of that much I was aware. A single tear fell and I sucked in a deep breath to calm myself down. The door opened and Lucy stepped in, glancing at the phone. 'I'm on holiday and I'm having a great time.' I told Marcus. 'I'll call you when I'm back.' And then I hung up.

Lucy sank onto the bed opposite me as I finished painting my nails and started to blow them dry. She cocked her head to the side. 'There's a lot you're telling me, isn't there?'

I bit my lip as I glanced up to meet her eyes. 'Yeah I guess I need to fill you in.'

'I knew there was something going on between you and Zed!' She slapped her thighs dramatically as she spoke and I shot her a questionnable look. 'You're a rubbish liar, Sky. Terrible. Shocking.'

'Thanks.' I said, drily.

'I can't believe you didn't tell me sooner. I'm supposed to be your best friend!'

'Sorry.' I apologised, feeling guilty. 'I just thought you'd think I was a slut or something.'

'A slut? Did I miss something? You've not slept with anyone, have you?' She chuckled, shaking her head. 'Sky, you're my friend, I'm not here to judge you. I'm hear to be eyes and ears when needed. And now I'm going to be a mouth. Don't contact Mark until we're back in England and if you're even considering taking him back then everything with Zed needs to stop, right now. No more mushy looks, which you can't deny as Nate and I have seen them, and no more flirting.'

'Flirting?!' I widened my eyes.

She tutted at me. 'You might not realise it, my dear, but you are a terrible flirt. In fact, you both are. But seriously, are you considering taking Mark back because that's going to change the rest of this holiday?'

I wrinkled my nose. 'No. He dumped me and ran off with his pretty, skinny-minnie ex. I'm not dealing with that again.'

'Good, I'd be the same.' She smiled at me. 'In which case you're onto your second important question; do you or do you not like Zed Benedict? And don't you dare lie to me.' I didn't say anything, but my cheeks did the talking by burning red. 'Well, I guess that answers that one then.' She pulled out her make-up bag. 'I guess then we're onto part 3; operation win Zed's heart.'

I'd brought two cocktail dresses with me and the ballgown that I planned on wearing to the incredibly fancy black tie NYE ball a few days later, so my wardrobe for Karla's party was limited. Lucy liked the black dress but in the end I'd chosen the red as I remembered Zed liked that colour on me; he had told me more than once, in amongst compliments. The red dress was strapless with a sweetheart neckline and a tight bodice, flowing out at the waist into a circle skirt with netting underneath for extra volume. It fell just above my knees and looked perfect with the black court shoes I'd packed to wear. We'd left my hair curly and down, only pinning back a few strands like had been done for the Christmas party and my make-up was enough to make my eyes pop. Lucy added a little bit of lippy too, just a shade darker than my natural colour to make my lips more plump. She wasn't very subtle at the best of times. She wore a sequinned bodycon dress with three-quarter sleeves which fell just above the knee and made her an instant glamourpuss. Her hair was down with a few curls, thanks to her curling tongs, and she'd applied the 50s make-up that she loved wearing to parties, as I now knew.

Music turned on in the living room and Lucy raised her eyebrows. 'It must be party time, shall we?'

I laughed at her formality as she held her arm out for me as my brother did when we were at swanky parties together. 'Let's just link arms, okay?' We linked our arms together and stepped out into the chalet, which had been completely rearranged. The dining table had been covered with a tablecloth and candles were decorated around it from its position closer to the wall. The kitchen was filled with buffet food, wine and champagne. The living room sofas had been completely opened up to give more floor space and a jazz band were set up by the door, playing music as guests chatted and kissed each other's cheeks.

'You look wonderful!' Karla cooed, appearing in front of us. She hugged Lucy and I and then turned to greet a guest in a suit who had just walked through the door.

'I feel like I'm back at the palace.' I blinked as a few guests looked my way, staring at me. They knew who I was, clearly.

'Only without the tiara.' Lucy nudged me in the side. 'Do we have to go and be sociable? Because most of these people are like my dad's age.'

'I guess we have to try.' I glanced over and spotted a guy and two girls about our age, chatting in the corner with their glasses of wine. I didn't want any alcohol. The thought just made me feel queasy after the previous night. I led Lucy into the middle of the room and two middle-aged guys greeted me with a bow, greeting me formally. For the first time I didn't mind. I felt in control.

'Drink?' A waitress offered us both a drink as we escaped after greeting a few people. Where were Nate and Zed anyway? They could have saved us from the awkwardness.

'Lucy!' A blonde girl with platinum, straight hair, which was almost down to the waist, waved at my friend and hurried over in her tight designer LBD. She walked over to us and I shot my friend a puzzled look, before wondering why I was surprised that she knew someone at the party. She'd known Nate for 10 years and the Benedicts for about 7 of those. Of course she knew people from their friendship circle. The blonde girl kissed my friend on both cheeks. 'You've lost weight!' She gushed. 'You look incredible.' I blinked at my friend. I'm sure she always looked incredible.

'Thanks Amy.' Lucy gave a small smile and turned to me. 'Amy, this is-'

'Her Royal Highness Princess Sky.' Amy interrupted and smiled down at me. 'Lovely to meet you.'

'And you.' I said, politely, trying not to stare at her lash extensions too much. At least I assumed they were lash extensions.

'So how do you know the Benedicts?' Amy asked me as Lucy sipped her lemonade beside me. Her wary look told me that she and Amy were hardly best friends.

'I go to school with Zed and Yves.' I replied, casually, as Zed walked into the room in tight-fitted navy formal trousers, smart brown shoes and a denim-coloured blue shirt. I bit my lip as he smiled at me. He looked good. His shirt was rolled up at the sleeves, showing his muscular arms and the outline of his muscular chest was clear through the fitted shirt too.

'I've know Zed since we were babies. Our mothers are best friends.' Amy continued in her Essex accent. Zed reached us and she pulled him into a smothering hug, kissing his cheek. 'Oh Z, it's been _way_ too long!'

'Hey, Amz.' He replied, casually, stepping out of the hug. His eyes flicked to mine and then back to Amy. 'How are you?'

'Much better now I've seen you! How long have you been in Morzine? We could have grabbed dinner or caught a movie together.'

Of course, she must have been an ex. It was clear from the way she fluttered her eyelashes at him. She was sickeningly pretty and I suddenly felt like my red dress was a binliner. I glanced at Lucy for help, but she was busy giggling at something Nate had said. Eek.

'Since the 23rd.' Zed replied with a shrug. 'I've been pretty busy though.'

'Well what about tomorrow?' Amy suggested. 'It'll be nice to spend some time just the two of us before the New Year's ball... I'm looking forward to continuing our midnight kiss tradition.'

My stomach sank and I felt bile rise in my throat. Their midnight kiss tradition? Of course. Savannah and now this Amy girl too; Lucy had been right about Zed being a player, hadn't she? With his smooth-talking and good looks he'd almost had me too. The conversation between he and Amy continued and I disappeared onto the balcony, wrapped in my warm coat. The cold air nipped at my legs but I didn't care. I just needed some fresh air.

I looked out at Morzine below, down the hill, at its twinkling glory. Lights travelled up to the tops of the mountains where there were hotels and restaurants with a view. A few lights moved across the mountain side and I knew they were cars travelling along tracks in the completely silent valley. I let out a breath I didn't even know I'd been holding and the steam danced in front of me, obscuring my view of the valley. I hummed along to _Fly Me to the Moon_ , which was being sang by the jazz band next year.

'Hey.' Zed's voice made me jump but I didn't turn to face him. Instead I continued to watch the valley that reminded me of something from a Christmas card. He appeared beside me, leaning against the railings. 'Sorry.'

'About what?'

'Amy.' His fingers moved gently across my coat sleeves.

'Let me guess, another ex?' I raised my eyebrows and he winced.

'We grew up together.' He said as if it was some sort of explanation. 'But it's definitely over.'

'It doesn't sound like it's over. New Year's tradition? When were you going to tell me?'

'It's an old tradition.' He frowned. 'I wasn't going to kiss her. Things are different this year.'

'But are they, Zed?' I glanced over at him now.

'Of course.' He reached for my hand, but I moved it away. 'Because now I've met my soulfinder.'

'Your mom and dad... are they each other's soulfinder?' I asked, wondering what the answer was to that question. It had been playing on my mind the past few days.

He nodded, a smile playing on my lips. 'Yeah. They're one of the lucky ones.'

'Lucky ones?'

'Not every savant finds their soulfinder in their lifetime. It's a pretty rare occurance.' His eyes softened as they met mine and I saw a pinky aura around him; it couldn't be love, could it?

'I'm not sure I believe it all.' I told him. 'It's pretty far-fetched.'

'You can see emotions, right?' He ran a hand through his hair and I wanted to do the same but stopped myself. 'Am I lying?'

My eyes flicked over at him and the aura that still surrounded him like a weird shadow or outline. 'No.'

'See.' He patted his coat pocket and stuck his hand inside. 'I've still not given you your Christmas present. I was waiting for the right moment but I guess that didn't come.' He pulled out a royal blue jewellery box and held it out to me.

'You didn't have to get me anything.' I replied, my heart hammering against my chest.

'I wanted to.' He gave a small smile. 'I know I don't have the best track record when it comes to girls and I know for you that must be difficult, but I want you to know I'm serious. I'm not going to hurt you, I promise.'

'Don't make promises that can't be kept or you'll be just as bad as Marcus.'

His eyes softened again and he took my hand, placing the box in it. 'I'm not going to hurt you like he did. You deserve better than that.' His eyes flicked to look at the box, expectantly, and then back up to my face. He wanted me to open it. I carefully opened the box and found myself looking at a delicate silver chain with a tiny circle pendant on it. The circle had a star cut out and compass directions engraved into it. 'To remind you that you can always find me.' He smiled. 'I know it sounds really cheesey and ick, I'm not into that stuff so it's somewhat ironic I guess.'

'It's lovely, thank you.' And I meant it. 'Can you help me put it on?'

He looked surprised but nodded, taking the necklace carefully out of the box and standing himself behind me. He gently pushed my hair to the side and I felt his breath tickle my neck as he fastened the chain carefully around it. My heart thudded as his fingers gently stroked the chain and my skin around it, sending goosebumps down my spine. He placed a gentle kiss against my cheek and then I couldn't take it anymore.

 _Kiss me._ I said as his breath and lips gently grazed my ear. He placed a hand on my waist and turned me to face him, his other hand in my hair, pushing my head gently towards his. I closed my eyes, ready for his lips on mine and his nose brushed mine.

'Sky!' Lucy's voice interrupted and I groaned inwardly as I opened my eyes. She came out of the door and blushed when she saw what she'd interrupted. 'Ah, sorry. Zed, your dad's looking for you and Sky, I was worried where you'd got off to but I guess things were okay after all...'

Zed released me and gave me a small smile. _I'll catch you later._ He disappeared back into the building.

I turned to face my best friend and glared. 'Way to interrupt a moment.'


	14. Bang, bang

The party wasn't hugely appealing for teenagers, I had to say. We spent the time talking with Amy and her friends whilst she touched Zed's arm more than she needed to and Zed kept looking over at me, reminding me of what had nearly happened out on the balcony. I wished it had. I was still thinking about it when Lucy was snoring softly behind me that night, far away in dream land with a smile on her face that suggested she was dreaming about Nate or Michael Buble. Or both. I rolled over in bed once again, sighing when I realised sleep wasn't coming anytime soon.

 _Are you still awake?_ Zed's voice took me by surprise in the darkness and I looked around, checking Lucy hadn't been woken. Then I rolled my eyes at myself. Of course she hadn't, we were communicating in our heads. It was still a bizarre concept to me.

 _Yes._ I heard a creak on the stairs.

 _Wanna sneak out?_

 _Is that such a good idea?_ His parents would freak out if they knew we'd snuck out and so would my security guards, who were probably fast asleep by now.

 _Live a little._

I thought about it in my head and decided he was right. Until we'd lied to Karla by sneaking off to a bar and getting drunk, I'd not actually done anything to break the rules. I'd kept things pretty tame. I always said please and thank you and made sure I was back for curfew. I was a good girl.

 _Give me 2 minutes to get dressed._

 _Wrap up warm, it's freezing outside._

I changed out of my pyjamas and pulled on some warm tights and then my leather leggings over the top. I pulled on a vest top, plaid shirt and my baggy grey jumper dress and grabbed my phone, turning it onto silent. Slipping my faux fur headband and scarf on, I tiptoed out into the living room. Zed was already there, leaning against the bannister of the stairs. He smiled as I carefully closed the bedroom door, hoping I hadn't woken up my friend. We slipped on our snowboots in silence and then grabbed our coats before sneaking out of the front door, Zed carefully locking the door with his key behind him.

'We're not going drinking again, are we?' I whispered as the snow crunched under my feet.

'Not tonight.' He smiled, throwing the blankets over his shoulder that had been laid on the porch swing. He reached for my gloved-covered hand and I took it, letting him lead me up the hillside and away from the house. At 1am, it was completely silent in the valley and all you could hear was the sound of our feet on the snow. I'd have been scared as we moved away from the lights if I hadn't had Zed holding my hand and lighting the way with the torch on his phone.

'Well at least we're not going snowboarding.' I laughed as passed the last house on the hillside. He led me past some pine trees to where there was a snow-covered picnic bench and he brushed off the snow before placing a blanket over it.

'Your highness.' He teased and I rolled my eyes before sitting on the table.

I looked at the valley below, spotting the Benedict's chalet. 'It's so peaceful here.' I sighed as he sat down beside me. 'This is what I miss about living in Cornwall. The peace and quiet.'

'I know the feeling.' He smiled. 'We used to live in Penzance. Not far from where you're from, right?'

'Less than an hour.' My eyes flicked towards his, meeting them and then I looked back out at the valley, feeling nervous.

'This is my favourite place to think.' He told me. 'I've written a good few songs up here.'

'So sneaking out is a common occurance? Why am I not surprised?' I tutted, disapprovingly.

'You know I like sneaking out. I've spent a great deal of time trying to woo you from that tree outside your bedroom.'

'It's like some creepy stalker I can't get rid of.' I teased and he wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me towards him, our sides pressed together. His arm moved to my shoulder and just hung there as I looked out at the nightsky. 'I've missed the stars.'

'Me too.' He whispered.

'This place is just so perfect... I don't think I've ever seen something so beautiful.'

'I have.' His voice was like silk and I turned my head towards him. Without warning, his hands moved to cup my face and he pressed his warm, soft lips to mine. My lips tingled as his lips moved against mine, savouring the kiss. It was definitely the best kiss I'd ever had and I felt weak as he held me in place, kissing me and igniting fireworks inside of me. He pulled back, almost reluctantly, still holding my face in his hands. 'You asked me earlier so I was hoping the offer was still standing.' His eyes searched mine.

'Shut up and kiss me again.' I gave him a flirtacious smile and he pressed his lips to mine again, making me forget all about the cold.

I woke up the next morning to the sound of a phone buzzing. Over and over again. Then there was the clearing of a throat. I opened one eye and realised I was in the living room, Karla and Saul staring down at me. I looked up at my moving pillow and realised Zed and I had fallen asleep. On the sofa. He grinned down at me, a cocky grin and I sat up feeling embarrassed.

'I'm not even going to ask.' Saul said, more to Zed than to me. 'I'm not sure I want to know.'

'Sky your phone has been ringing nonstop.' Karla's eyes were concerned and I wondered why. 'I think it's important... well I don't think... I know.' Ah right, because according to Zed she could see the future.

I glanced at my phone; a missed call from Phillip, one from my father and five from Nina. Yikes. It buzzed again and Nina's name appeared onscreen. 'I'd better take this.' I answered the call and walked out onto the decking, ignoring the fact that I had no shoes or coat on. 'Hello?'

'Oh thank god. I've been trying to ring you for the past hour!' She sounded tired and a little stressed.

'What's going on?' I asked her, worriedly.

'You're in the paper... well most of the papers.'

'I'm always in the paper.' I replied as a couple sledged past the house.

'Sky, were you ice-skating yesterday?'

'How did you...' I paused as it dawned on me. 'Someone saw me ice-skating with Zed.'

'Yeah... the pictures are cute but I'm afraid the headlines and articles are not... his bad boy image isn't so good for yours.' She sounded frustrated. 'My advice is don't read the articles. We're going to file lawsuits as they didn't run these articles past the palace before posting them. Your dad is not happy.' Neither was I. My heart sank. 'Try to enjoy the rest of your holiday and I'll see you in three days time.' And she was gone.

I moved back towards the door but I hesitated upon hearing the conversation inside.

'She's a lovely girl Zed, don't let her go.' Saul was saying.

'I don't intend to. I've never felt this way before.' Zed piped up.

'It's because she's your soulfinder and you're meant to be.' Karla's voice this time. 'She seems to be turning around and for that I am grateful. I'm seeing the old Zed again and it's wonderful.' I opened the door and stepped in, three faces turning to look at me. 'Was it about the papers, my dear?' Karla asked and I simply nodded.

'I'm sorry.' Zed apologised.

'It's not your fault, it comes with being a princess.' I shrugged. 'Now how about I wake up Lucy and we head up for a day on the slopes?'

I'd tried not to read the articles, I'd tried not to look at the pictures, but as Lucy slept beside me that night after a busy day snowboarding, I couldn't help it. In the dark, I opened up the laptop and typed my name into Google. Articles popped up from today and I clicked on one, scanning the headline; ' _Seven Minutes in Heaven with the Princess.'_ There was a picture of Zed catching me and laughing at the ice rink the day before, something completely innocent. I scrolled down, reading the article.

 _Princess Sky was spotted holidaying in Morzine this week and more importantly, spending alone time with Zed Benedict, lead singer of Seven Minutes in Heaven (Don't Stop). Zed's bad boy reputation has been in the press since the band were signed, with fans claiming to have left parties with the womanizer and with photos appearing of him smoking and stumbling out of pubs at closing time, underage. Now he seems to be spending a lot of time with the Princess, which may put her title in jeopardy. Campaigns have already been set up to have her title revoked and so far the palace has been firing back. Will they be able to when the Princess spirals out of control? Stay tuned for more._

I felt angry and I grit my teeth as I slammed the laptop lid closed. How dare they? Yes, Zed did have a reputation but hadn't Karla said earlier that he was changing, reverting back to his old ways. And why did it matter who I spent time with? It was my decision. I wasn't going to end up a bad person for it. A tear rolled down my cheek and I hadn't even known I was crying. I stood up, realising I wasn't going to sleep, and I walked through the living room onto the decking. I jumped when I spotted the figure stood there, cigarette in hand.

'I read the articles. All of them.' His voice was bitter and he made me stiffen.

'Me too.' Another tear escaped and I sighed. 'I hate this. I wish I'd never found out I was a princess. It makes everything so damn difficult.' I grabbed the cigarette from his hand.

'What are you doing?' He frowned.

'Stopping you from making things worse.' I stumped it out in some snow.

'You're crying.' His eyes softened as he turned to face me. 'It'll be okay Sky, everything will.'

'Will it?' I shivered in the cold, only wearing my pyjamas and slippers. 'I've got people trying to take my title away, saying that I shouldn't be royal because my father had an affair with my mother. People are trying to break me, Zed, and now they're pulling you down too.'

'Baby, they can't pull me down anymore. I've made my bed.' He wiped a tear from my cheek with his thumb. 'But you can't let them break you. You make a damn good princess. You're beautiful, smart, talented and you want to make a difference and so you should.' His face saddened and he let out a sigh. 'And if that means letting you live your life without me in it then that's just what I'm going to do.'

I frowned. 'But you kissed me.'

'And I'd happily do it again, but I don't want to ruin things for you or for your family... I don't want to ruin your image and everything you're working for.'

He wiped away another tear. 'I'm not quite sure I'm ready to give you up just yet.'

The New Year's Eve Ball was being held at Morzine's only five-star hotel the following evening, _Mont Blanc Royal._ The boys had headed off early with Saul and then we were going separately, incase the press were outside as there would be a few celebrities and wealthy businessmen and women there. It did mean, however, that we'd had more time to get ready and I was glad for that. I'd opted for wearing the ballgown I'd bought for Lucy's birthday, as it had only made one appearance and the deep red was bound to be a winner with Zed. I admired my dress in the mirror one last time, its lace detailing, off-the-shoulder and mermaid fit. Then I grabbed the faux fur shrug I'd picked up in town with Lucy and gave my friend a smile. In a simple strapless black mermaid-fit dress, she looked classy and elegant, more so with her hair tied back. Mine was in a loose bun, curls falling out and framing my face. It showed off the royal necklace I'd worn to the Christmas party, a gift to show my heritage.

'Girls the car is here!' Karla called out.

'Ready to face the world?' Lucy held out her hand for me and I took it, nervously.

'Let's show them that I'm supposed to be a princess.'

The press were there when we arrived with my two security guards making up my entourage. A red carpet had been laid out to the front of the building, a huge, wooden alpine hotel with an attached spa. Karla climbed out of the hired SUV with help from the driver and then she came round to our side, giving us a thumbs up. In her navy ballgown with her hair curled, and red lipstick, she looked very glamorous. 'I'll meet you just inside.' She told us with a friendly smile before disappearing up the red carpet.

Lucy was first out of the car, picking up her dress so that she didn't trip as she stood up. She turned to face me and grinned as I stepped out and the cameras flashed, the press calling 'Sky' and 'Lucy' at the top of their voices. Of course they knew her because of her dad and he'd hidden her away from the press for most of her life. We linked arms and walked onto the red carpet together, the cameras going wild. Then we stopped and posed for a few pictures, pouting, laughing and making silly faces. Despite the questions being thrown our way, we ignored them and headed inside where Karla was waiting for us.

'You girls handled that like pros.' She told us with a proud smile. 'Now let's head inside... I know two boys who are going to be very pleased to see you.'

The ballroom was a large room with wooden ceilings and skylines overlooking the beautiful night sky. White and silver glittery lanterns hung from the ceiling and twinkling lights were wound around some of the wooden beams. Circular tables seating eight people were spread around with white and purple flowers for centerpieces and there was a large area by the stage, where a band was already playing, for dancing. It was classy and sophisticated and full of guests in black tie outfits.

I squealed with excitement as a familar face passed us. 'Is that Michael Buble?!' My eyes were wide with delight.

'It is!' Lucy squealed back.

'He's performing this evening.' Karla replied as our shrugs were taken to the cloakroom. 'Ah, there's the boys!' She led us to the other side of the room where, sure enough, Nate, Saul and Zed were sat around in their tuxedos. I swallowed. Zed in a tux was always going to make me giddy. That much was clear. They all stood to greet us and Zed's jaw dropped, making him look even cuter. Karla kissed him on the cheek, but he continued to look at me and I giggled as Saul pulled me in for a hug.

'I think Zed is trying to say that you look lovely.' Saul told me with a chuckle and I blushed at the compliment.

'Thank you.' I said in response as Zed placed a gentle kiss on my forehead.

 _I'm speechless._ He said telepathically and I gave him a small smile. _You look so beautiful and yet so... sexy._ His voice deepened on the last word and I looked at him in surprise.

 _No one has ever called me sexy before._ I admitted.

 _No idea why not._ His eyes were intense as they skimmed my outfit before meeting my blue pools again.

 _Well you look alright yourself, but don't get big-headed._ He smiled at that and I was aware that Karla and Saul were watching us, a knowing look on their face. I blushed again.

Zed pulled out a chair for me. 'May I?'

I tried not to smile at his surprising gentlemanliness. Instead, I sat down and let him tuck the chair in. And then I let him get me a glass of wine for me to enjoy with my meal too. Might as well make the most of it. The five course meal was somewhat ridiculous, but it was tasty and luckily the portion sizes were small enough to stop me looking like I was pregnant in my tight-fitting dress. A chilled out jazz band played as people finished their food and then I had to stop myself screaming like a fangirl when Mr Buble stepped onto the stage.

Lucy grabbed my hand and squealed. 'We need to get on that dancefloor. Right now.' Nate and Zed rolled their eyes.

'What is it with girls and Michael Buble?' Zed said, giving me a disapproving look.

'He has a voice like heaven.' Karla said, making everyone at the table look at her in surprise. 'What? I'm not too old, he's only about ten years younger than me...' She glanced at Lucy and I. 'Go and get him girls.'

We didn't need to be told twice. As Mr Buble started singing _It's a Beautiful Day_ , we reached the dancefloor and twirled together as a few other girls and women joined us. Lucy took my hand and we spun each other around, laughing as we sang along with Mr Buble and his voice like silk. The song ended and everyone applauded as his band started the intro to _Close Your Eyes._ Couples moved to the dancefloor and Lucy waved Nate over.

'Thanks, dance partner.' I said sarcastically to her and she laughed.

'Is alright, you've got a new dance partner.' She grinned as a hand caressed my bare shoulder. I turned to see Zed stood there, smiling down at me.

'Let's dance.' He said, taking my hand in his. 'And before you ask no, it's not a question.'

 _'You're an angel dressed in armor_

 _You're the fair in every fight.'_

He placed his hand on the small of my back and I placed my left hand on his chest as he started to move us in time to the silky goosebumpy vocals of Mr Buble.

 _'You're my life and my safe harbor_

 _Where the sun sets every night.'_

We waltzed across the floor, his eyes locked on mine and I blushed when I realised he wasn't going to look away.

 _'And if my love is blind_

 _I don't want to see the light.'_

He twirled me around before pulling me back in closer to him, his breath tickling my forehead.

 _'It's your beauty that betrays you_

 _Your smile gives you away._

 _Cause you're made of strength and mercy_

 _And my soul is yours to save.'_

'You're so beautiful.' He whispered and the aura surrounding him told me that he meant it.

 _'I know this much is true_

 _When my world was dark and blue_

 _I know the only one who rescued me was you.'_

He turned me around, my back against his chest and I swallowed at the closeness of it all, his breath now on my neck.

 _'Close your eyes_

 _Let me tell you all the reasons why_

 _You're never gonna to have to cry_

 _Because you're one of a kind.'_

He turned me back to face him, singing along with Michael Buble and making me knees weak. I decided I wouldn't mention that to anyone at the risk of ruining his street cred.

 _'Yeah, here's to you_

 _The one that always pulls us through_

 _You always do what you gotta do baby_

 _Because you're one of a kind.'_

'Mind if I cut in?' Amy's voice surprised me and irritated me. I glanced up at Zed and he simply shrugged, making me frown. Was he going to fight to keep dancing with me? His grip loosened on me and I realised the answer was no. I released him and hurried away, leaving him to dance with his ex-girlfriend as the time ticked closer to midnight.

I collected my faux fur shrug from the cloakroom and found myself outside in the beautiful hotel gardens. Snow was scattered across the grass and plants, but the path had been shovelled and sprinkled in salt so that it was clear of snow and ice. I walked along the path, turning when I heard footsteps behind me. I sighed with relief when I realised it was just my two security guards.

'Are you okay, your highness?' Jose asked, a wary look on his face.

'I just need a little air.' I replied. 'Can you keep a few more paces behind me than normal please? Don't smother me.'

'Of course, your highness.'

I groaned, inwardly, fed up of hearing my title. Eventually I might give up and just get used to it, I decided. I walked across the ground carefully, the salt crunching under my stilettos, but I preferred that to falling flat on my face. I walked down the stairs, past two bushes, and found myself in a quiet part of the garden, away from the party. It was only lit by simple lanterns and I could see the chair-lift rising up next to the hotel, taking people to the lodge at the top for a good view of the fireworks. I wanted to sit down, but I knew the damp outdoor furniture would ruin my dress, leaving inappropriate wet patches on it. Instead, I leaned against the bench, resting my hands on it and wishing I could just kick off my shoes and relax my feet.

At the sound of a gunshot and a bullet smashing a plant pot beside me, I tensed as my security guards ran over to me, covering me and calling things into their headsets. There was another gunshot and I held my breath, hoping it hadn't hit anything.

'Your highness, we must get you to safety.' Jose mumured and I realised my feet weren't working. I put them into action immediately, moving them as quick as I could as they covered me, walking me back towards the hotel. Two other security guards joined us, one trying to spot the shooter, and I heard a circling helicopter almost instantly. Mutely, I followed the men as they pushed me into the building and through the kitchen before pushing me out of the fire exit, with an entourage of security. I squinted as a helicopter landed on the snow, blowing icicles off of the nearby fir trees as they bent from the powerful propellors.

'Where are we going?' I asked, my heart hammering against my ribcage as what had just happened started to sink in.

'It's not safe, we need to fly you home.' Jose said, pushing me towards the helicopter.

'Home?'

'Back to London.'

'But my holiday... it isn't over and it's New Year's Eve.'

'I know, your highness, but this is for your safety. We are here to protect you.' We reached the helicopter and he lifted me in as my legs became numb.

I'd never been in a helicopter and this wasn't the right time for that. I should have watched the beautiful view below as the alpine buildings got smaller and smaller and the mountain tops got closer. But all I could think about was one thing; someone had tried to kill me.


	15. We are the Kings and the Queens

_**Competition! I have a female part coming up soon who currently does not have a name. If you'd like her to have your name then post a review with your name in it and you might just make it into the story! You only have 2 days to do this though (as I'll be getting the chapter ready for posting Thursday) so be fast!**_

'I just don't understand why you let a bullet nearly hit _my daughter_ , _your_ princess.' My father's words were bitter as he paced his office at 3am on New Year's Day. I'd just about calmed down from the incident. At least, I'd stopped blubbing over someone wanting to shoot me and now I was mourning my wasted New Year's kiss and wondering if Zed had kissed Amy instead. It was a distraction from the shooting, but it still hurt.

'It was impossible to tell where the shot came from, your majesty.' Jose looked concerned and I wondered if he was going to lose his job. 'It may have came from the cable car or from somewhere else in the garden. It was very dark, very difficult to tell.'

'But why weren't you right by her? You must have been at least a few metres away for such a near miss.' He glared and I crossed my legs as I sat there. I felt bad for Jose.

'Father, I didn't want them to _smother_ me. I wanted them to give me a little room to breathe.'

'But it is their job to smother you. To keep you safe.' His forehead was creased and he was doing a good job of giving himself wrinkles. He turned to look at me. 'And what were you doing outside in the dark? Why weren't you inside and where were the Benedicts?'

'Inside at the party. I needed some fresh air.' Because Amy had turned up, I added silently. 'They wouldn't have known this was going to happen.'

'But they promised to keep you safe.'

'It was impossible to predict an attack, your majesty.' Jose stuck up for the Benedicts and then closed his mouth and I knew that he was resisting from saying anymore.

'Your majesty, the MI5 are here.' My father's head of security said from the doorway and I swallowed. I was anxious and I was tired and all I wanted was to curl up safely in my bed.

'Send them in.' My father said and Jose visibly shrank. It was clear he blamed himself for what happened and it was clear that he felt guilty. I felt bad for him. It was my fault for getting annoyed with Zed and storming out.

In walked three men in suits and one woman. Sunglasses were tucked into their pockets, not that they could possibly need them in the middle of the night, and they had earpieces on. I glanced at one of the men, with his tanned skin, dark eyes and dark hair. He almost looked like...

'Your majesty.' He bowed. 'Victor Benedict. Pleased to be of service.' Of course. Zed had mentionned that he had a brother in the police force and another one worked for the secret organisation. 'These are my colleagues Anya Kowalski, Martin Brown, Alistair Rowan and Zachary Lenko.'

My father frowned and I knew what he was thinking; another Benedict. But instead of commenting, he played the perfect King. 'Thank you for coming so quickly.'

'We understand it is a matter of great importance.' Victor bowed his head and his eyes flicked to me as a small smile played on his lips. It was clear he recognised me. Even with my blotchy face and red eyes from crying. I pulled the hoodie with the royal crest on tighter around my body. It was the only thing available on the jet for me to change into, along with a pair of sweatpants. Ridiculous didn't cover it. But somehow I'd managed to get through the airport without a single photographer, even though every channel was reporting that the Princess had nearly been shot whilst holidaying in Morzine.

'We have guys out in Morzine now trying to investigate and we understand that the police force over there were stopping anyone from leaving the town until they had been properly interviewed.' Anya said.

'That's right.' My father nodded and ran his hand through his greying hair. It was a nervous gesture, his steel blue eyes concerned.

'We will leave no stone unturned, your majesty, I can assure you of that.' Victor said, his voice smooth and calm. 'Now, if it's okay with you, we'd like to question the Princess just to see if there are any details we have missed.'

'It's very late and I'm sure she is exhausted.' He spoke as if I was not in the room and then he glanced over at me, as if reminding himself that I was there.

'It's fine, father.' I said and realised my voice was hoarse, my throat dry. 'One more interview won't hurt.'

'If you're sure.' He nodded, curtly.

'You look exhausted dear, go to bed and I'll stay with Sky.' The Queen said, her voice soothing.

'You should both go to bed.' I told them, quietly. 'I'll be going as soon as I'm done here.'

My father glanced over at his head security officer who nodded, as if verifying that he was staying with me. He turned to me and pulled me into a hug. 'Goodnight Sky.'

'Goodnight.'

The questionning didn't take long at all and for that, I was thankful. The problem was that this time they wanted to know everything that had happened in the ball. Of course, I'd left a few details out but I'd had to confirm that Zed and Amy were the last people to have seen me before I'd gone outside and I'd had to say that I had walked off because I was annoyed at Zed. Victor remained straight-faced through the whole thing as Anya took notes and he only showed emotion at the end, when I was ready to go to bed and collapse in a heap.

'For what it's worth, your highness,' he had said to me, 'my brother is an idiot.'

My sleep that night was patchy and disrupted by nightmares, where I found myself back in Morzine having gunshots fired at me. I ran as fast as I could through the snow, my quick breathing making my chest ache. I found a log cabin. It was open. I ran inside, shutting the wooden door behind me. Then there was knocking on the door...

I bolted upright in my breath, my back sweating and my throat sore. My eyes still stung too and I realised I'd been crying again. There was a knock on the door and I tensed as it opened.

'Oh good, you're awake, your highness.' Nina smiled cheerily from the doorway.

'What time is it?'

'1pm.' She replied, adjusting her grip on the clipboard as I stretched out in my comfy palace bed. 'How are you feeling?'

'Not too bad.' I lied. Just a sweaty, freaked out mess.

'Good because you have a visitor.' She smiled. 'If you shower and get dressed then I'll have brunch brought up to your reception room for you.'

Ah yes, because I had my own reception room which now housed a piano, blue posh-looking chairs, a television and a crazily big DVD collection, plus bookcases stuffed with books. I showered and threw on a comfy pair of designer jeans and a light blue cashmere cardigan over a tank top. I pulled my hair back into a bun and applied a little of the designer make-up tucked into my bathroom cupboard, desperate to look a little more healthy. My foundation hid my bags and the mascara brought the attention to my eyes, which were less red after a few eye drops. I walked across the hallway to the reception room, two guards in uniform following me. They opened the door for me, not that I needed them to, and I walked in.

Familiar messy hair and worried green eyes greeted me as Marcus stood up and bowed. 'Your highness.'

'Really, Marcus?' I tutted. 'You know me well enough to know I dislike formality.'

'I'm so glad you're safe.' He whispered and I spotted the flowers in his hand. He followed my eyes and held them out for me.

'Thank you.' I replied, realising I was now being the formal one, stood all tense and faking smiles.

'How are you?' He asked as brunch was wheeled in on a trolley, the smells of egg and bacon wafting through the air and making my stomach growl. I glanced up at him, mutely and he sighed. 'Sorry, that was a silly question really, wasn't it?'

'Mark, why are you here?'

'I wanted to wave a peace flag.' He looked nervous, a nervous look that completely contrasted with Zed's cockiness. 'I'm not asking for things to go back to how they were, I understand that's difficult but... I'd like to be friends.'

'Just friends?' I raised my eyebrows.

'That's why I brought you yellow roses. Don't they symbolise friendship?'

'Or your grandmother being in hospital.' I joked and his lips turned upwards into a smile as he chuckled, softly. I glanced at all of the food that had been brought in. 'Are you hungry?'

'Sure.'

I spent the rest of the Christmas holidays at the palace, under strict instructions not to leave whilst the shooting continued to be investigated. I spent the days writing new music or riding Angel out in the paddock, being followed everywhere by an unnecessary group of guards. Sally and Simon visited, as did Lucy and Marcus, but the one person I wanted to visit, didn't so much as even bother to contact me. Then I reminded myself that I shouldn't care; I'd been warned that Zed Benedict was a player, a bad boy, and that wasn't going to change. He'd been photographed in the paper, at events with the band, girls hanging off of his arm. Then there were the sexy photoshoots _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ had been doing for teen magazines, the posters Lucy had brought to me with worried expressions on her face. She was worried she was going to lose Nate and I worried for her.

The school term soon was approaching and I headed back to school the Sunday before the first day of 2016 with my new entourage of guards. It was frustrating having six guards assigned to me but I knew it was for the best. At all times I would have three guards by my side, Dimitri and Ciara included. They would swap on a rotary basis and my door would be guarded, as would the room I was having lessons in. Privacy was now well and truly out of the window, that much was clear.

I woke up early on Monday morning and threw on the school uniform I was no longer used to wearing; my green and black tartan school skirt, white blouse, black cardigan with the school crest and black over-the-knee socks with my brogues. I tied my hair back into a ponytail, securing it with a black ribbon and I sighed as I looked in the mirror, checking my subtle make-up.

'Are you okay?' Lucy asked from behind me as she zipped up the black boots she wore as part of school uniform.

'Yeah.' I lied, reaching for my satchel.

Lucy frowned, her reflection visible in the mirror. 'Don't lie to me, Sky.' She shook her head. 'You're worried about seeing Zed aren't you?'

'Why would I be worried about that?'

It was her turn to sigh. 'Because despite this brave face you're trying to put on, you actually like him and you are upset he hasn't spoken to you since New Year's Eve.' I glanced over at my friend, biting my lip nervously. It was irritating that she knew how I felt and why. She gave me a reassuring smile as we both shrugged our coats on, ready to head out for breakfast. 'He's an idiot Sky and frankly, you're a lot better without him.'

The dining hall was packed and noisy as people hurried around with their cereals and pastries, gossiping about whatever they'd been up to over the three week break. Lucy and I sat down with Zoe and Tina as Nelson, Nate and Yves sat down across from us, taking up the last available seats.

'Sky, darling!' Savannah's voice made me put down the buttered croissant I had been about to eat. 'How was your winter break?' She bent down to airkiss each cheek, a fake smile plastered on her perfect face.

'Fine, thanks.'

'I'm so sorry to hear about the attack in Morzine. It's _awful._ ' Her face didn't match the sympathetic words. She pulled out seven pink envelopes, each with a name written on it in a fancy cursive. 'I hope you'll still come to my birthday party on Saturday. It's the party of the year.' She handed me an invite and did the same with my friends on the table.

' _This_ Saturday? Isn't that a little late notice?' I turned over the pink envelope in my hand.

'Oh you are funny.' She said with a false laugh. 'My party is the same weekend every year. It's always been the third weekend in January so everyone always keeps it free. I hope you,' she glanced at my security team watching from the side of the dining hall, 'and your security team, I guess, can make it. I've even got a special guest performer.' And with that she turned on her heels and left, her hair flying out behind her.

I opened the pink envelope, looking at the fancy handmade invitation.

 _You are invited to Savannah's Hollywood Glamour Birthday Party_

 _January 16th 8-12_

 _At The Twilight Room, Chelsea_

 _RSVP_

'The Twilight Room? Chelsea? Sounds intriguing.' I said, looking up at my friends.

'It's like My Super Sweet Sixteen.' Yves said with an eye-roll.

'So we're not going?'

'Of course we're going.' Lucy tutted me. 'It's social suicide not to.'

'Well I guess you girls can stay at my apartment afterwards?' I suggested. 'It's easier than trying to get back to school.'

'As long as we can arrive in style.' Zoe grinned and I shot her a puzzled expression. 'Come on, it's Hollywood. The least we can do is arrive by limo.'

'Isn't that a bit obvious?' Lucy frowned and I smiled.

'I have an idea.'

I'd done so well avoiding Zed all day, even avoiding him in tag rugby in P.E that afternoon. Then the day ended and I tried to hurry off to the boarding house with my security guards, but he of course caught up.

'Sky!' He called from behind me and I groaned, inwardly, as I continued to walk as quick as I could. 'Sky! Hey, wait up!'

'I'm busy.' I replied, bluntly. Truthfully, I was. The girls and I were booked in at a designer shop in London and the car was picking us up in thirty minutes; one pro of being a princess, I supposed.

'Have you been avoiding me?' I cursed in my head as he appeared at my side. Disadvantage of having small legs- I just wasn't quick enough.

'No.' I replied, my voice sounding a little high pitch.

'You have.' His voice sounded hurt.

'It's not like you've made the effort either, have you?' I said, bitterly. I frowned at him and his eyes looked sad. 'I've seen the papers, Zed. I guess some things never change.'

'I wanted to talk to you... to see you.'

'Then why didn't you?'

He looked uncomfortable and I knew that he was hiding something. 'I can't say.'

I rolled my eyes. 'Until you can open up, I don't want anything to do with you.' I folded my arms across my chest as I glared at him. 'I don't have time for games, Zed. There's a lot going on in my life right now and I don't need to have my feelings thrown back in my face.' Then I turned on my heels and sped off as fast as I could, just as the rain started to fall.

'Your highness, it's so wonderful to see you again.' Red-headed Katie, the girl who had designed my dress for the Bond premiere, greeted me with a curtsy and a smile as we reached her shop that evening.

'Thank you so much for staying open for us.' I said with a smile. 'I know it's completely last minute.'

'It's a pleasure.' She smiled. 'We've had a lot of business since you wore the black dress for the premiere.'

'Good.'

'So what can I do for you all?' She glanced at all of my friends, who were looking around the small boutique shop in awe. Ballgowns and cocktail dresses were hung on railings by size, each design a one-off.

'We have a party on Saturday... it's a black-tie Hollywood theme.' I explained as an assistant took our coats and hung them on an old-fashionned coat stand.

'So you need something with a bit of glamour and sparkle.' Katie nodded. 'Well we can do that.' She turned to my friends. 'Look around and see if there's anything you'd like to try on.' She then turned back to me. 'Your highness, I actually have a dress that would be perfect for you.'

She led me towards the back of the store, where a few dress bags were tucked away. She checked the tag and then unzipped it carefully, revealing the most beautiful dress I'd ever seen; the dress was cream with small cap sleeves and a fitted bodice, before flowing out at the waistline into a tulle skirt, which wasn't too pouffy. The best part was that the dress was covered with beading and delicate pearls, giving it a Great Gatsby feel **(AN: Lily James' Disneyland dress).**

'It's beautiful, Katie.' I told her, reaching out to touch it. It must have taken ages to make.

'And it's in your size.' She smiled. 'Go ahead, try it on and then I can see if any adjusting needs doing.' She placed the dress in a fitting room and I could hear my friends giggling in the other fitting rooms as they tried on possible dresses. I slipped off my jeans and blouse and then very carefully stepped into the Gatsby ballgown. I zipped it up carefully and glanced at my reflection. It was a perfect fit, like it had been made for me.

'Sky, are you decent?' Tina called. 'We've found out perfect dresses.'

I pulled back the curtain and smiled at my friends. 'So have I.'

'I'm not happy with you going to this party.' My father told me, sternly, on Friday evening when I arrived at the palace in time for dinner. I'd turned up with my dress for Savannah's party and with my weekend bag, as he'd wanted me close by this weekend to be on the safe side. That was the new agreement; weekends at the palace, not at school.

'But I've got the perfect dress.' I told him, surprising myself. I'd never been upset over not getting to wear a dress. Tomboy Sky had long gone and princess Sky was starting to influence me.

'I can't guarantee your safety at a party.'

'Just send me with my guards.' I replied, folding my arms as Phillip and the Queen ate their dinner, their eyes flicking between us like they were watching a tennis game.

'But you might get injured.'

'There's a guest list, only people from school will be there.'

'I can't keep you safe at some over-the-top sweet seventeenth or whatever it is.' His face was serious.

'Is this what it's going to be like now? Keeping me inside, stopping me from going to parties or seeing my friends? You might as well just throw me in the tower. It would be the same thing.'

'Don't be so melodramatic.' He tutted. 'It's not princess-like.'

'You're forgetting that I didn't sign up for this princess stuff.' My eyes teared over and I felt emotional. 'I just wanted to be a normal teenage girl who gets to go to college and do music without anyone knowing who I was. Now the press follow me and so do a band of security guards and yes someone shot at me and it was terrifying but I'm _sixteen._ I'll come to balls and charity events and gallery openings without a fuss. Please don't take every piece of my teenage years away from me.'

'Edward, let her go to the party.' The Queen said, her eyes sad. 'She's your daughter not a prisoner.' I glanced up in surprise at the Queen and she gave me a small smile.

'What if something happens?' My father furrowed his eyebrows together in frustration.

'It won't. Send your best guards and she'll be safe.'

My father sighed. 'Fine,' he turned to me. 'You can go, but I want you and your friends to get ready here and stay here afterwards. I will send a police escort with your car and your security guards will attend the party with you. Do I make myself clear?'

I nodded with a small smile. 'Thank you.'

Zoe and Tina had never been into the palace before, so they were bouncing off the walls when they arrived the following afternoon, even more so when they found out that they would be staying in a guest suite whilst Lucy shared with me. They tried to make the guards laugh with silly jokes and ended sighing in frustration when they realised that the legend was true; the guards did not smile. They weren't allowed to. We were reading magazines and chatting in my bedroom when there was a knock on the door and Nina revealed herself.

'Your highness.' She said with a curtsy. 'I'm sorry to interrupt.'

'It's fine.' I said with a smile, sitting myself up on my bed.

'The Queen sent a surprise for you.'

'She did?' My eyes widened in surprise as four beauticians walked into the room dragging suitcases behind them.

'She wanted you to look your best for the party and for you all to enjoy yourself.' Nina smiled. She nodded and then left us to it as the beauticians curtsied and introduced themselves.

'Well that was awfully nice of the Queen.' Lucy said, watching the beauticians setting up their equipment.

'It certainly was.' I smiled in agreement. It was a lovely gesture, one I would have to thank her for later.

'Your highness, shall we get started?' Clary, one of the beauticians, said, looking up at me from behind her long lashes.

'Sure.'

'So are you going to forgive Zed yet?' Lucy asked me as we had our nails done later that afternoon. All of us had our hair pinned up in rollers and I'd taken a few pictures of us, posting them on Instagram just for the fun of it.

My heart fluttered at the question my friend had asked me and my stomach churned. We'd not spoken since I'd told him to leave me alone and I was pretty sure I was going to keep it that way. 'No.'

'I'm sure there's a good reason he didn't talk to you after what happened.' Zoe piped up, admiring her drying red nails that matched her toes.

'He cares about you, Sky.' Lucy said, her eyes soft. 'Nate said he's been going crazy not being able to talk to you.'

'Well maybe he should have thought about that before making a huge mistake.' I frowned at the beautician tutted.

'No gentleman is worth you getting premature wrinkles over.' She told me, rubbing moisturiser into my forehead. She finished my nails and spread them out to dry before grabbing the foundation and a brush, ready to start on my make-up.

'You're right.' I agreed. 'I need to smile.'

'Happiest girls are the prettiest girls.'

'Audrey Hepburn.' I smiled at the beautician and she winked at me.

'An icon.'

When we were all ready, we looked ready for the red carpet, ready for Hollywood. Zoe dazzled with her hair in a glamorous updo, wearing a beaded black maxi dress with keyhole cut outs on the back. Tina looked sophisticated in a black lace maxi dress with a scoop across the back, her red hair in a faux Gatsby-style bob. Lucy looked sexy and classy in a red dress with high neckline and cut-out detailing on the waist, her hair in a half updo, tumbling in curls. And then I felt like I was in the Golden Age of Hollywood in my perfect dress, which hugged my waist, with my hair in Hollywood waves in a side-parting, tumbling over my shoulders. I'd been given red lipstick to complete the look, we all had, and my eyes looked bluer than ever. I looked like I should have been in a black and white movie, maybe in a Marilyn Monroe or Lauren Bacall movie. The beauticans said their goodbyes to us and we took some pictures together before the knock on the door told us that our car had arrived.

'Are you ready?' Lucy beamed excitedly from beside me.

'There's something I want to do first. I'll be down in a minute.' I told my friends with a smile. I grabbed my clutch bag and picked my dress up as I walked along the corridor to the King and Queen's quarters. The guards on the door showed me that the Queen was in her library and the joyful piano tune coming from inside echoed that. They bowed to me and opened the door, calling out my entrance to the Queen. She stopped playing the piano and I was surprised for the second time that day; I had no idea that she played.

She stood to greet me, a smile on her face. 'Sky, you look beautiful as always. A perfect princess, true royalty.' Her eyes sparkled as she spoke and I wondered when she had started to feel more relaxed around me.

'Thank you.' I told her with a curtsy.

'There's no need for that.' The Queen chuckled, her eyes kind. 'Now don't you have a party to get to? Fashionably late is fine, but a princess is never _too_ late for a party.'

'I came to thank you. For sending the beauticians.' I said, nervously.

'I wanted you and your friends to enjoy yourselves.' She smiled. 'You were right yesterday when you stood up to your father. It isn't fair for you to put your whole life on hold. Life is too short.'

'It is.' I agreed. We were both quiet for a moment and I wasn't sure what else to say.

'I've always wanted a daughter, Sky. Did Phillip tell you that?' I glanced up to meet her eyes as she spoke, sadness now in her tone. 'We tried but there were complications and we weren't able to have another child. I lost two and then it just hurt too much.'

That had never been in the press. It was a family secret. 'I'm sorry.' I told her, feeling bad for her. She'd had Phillip and had wanted another child, but couldn't carry full-term and then I wondered if perhaps that was why my father had gone back to my mother, despite being married. He was probably upset. And then how heartbreaking for the Queen when her husband had had an affair with a woman and they'd concieved a daughter.

'I know I will never replace your mother and I don't want to. Nor do I want to replace Sally. She has done a wonderful job with you these past seven years.' She reached for my hand and I let her take it, her fingers locking gently around mine. 'But I hope that one day perhaps I'll be like a mother figure to you. If you ever need anything or just need to talk or need some advice, I'll be right here.' She gave me a small smile, a nervous one, as her brown eyes looked into mine. 'You're a wonderful girl and I know Edward can be protective but it's because he loves you. He's been a lot happier since finding you.' She squeezed my hand as silence filled the air. I wasn't sure what to say. All I knew was I was trying my best not to cry and not to ruin my make-up. 'Now go.' She commanded. 'You have a party to get to.'

Instead of a limo, Phillip had helped me to hire a Baby Bentley for our grand entrance. The car itself was a fancy Chrysler Stretch Limo, a black one often used by the Royal family when attending events apparently. The seats inside were real leather and there was a bar stocked for us with champagne, so we enjoyed a glass as it drove us to Chelsea. When we arrived, there was a red carpet laid out with a few photographers stood either side, although I wasn't sure if they were for show or really from the press. We posed for a few pictures together before heading in, followed closely by my security guards.

The Twilight Room was actually three rooms. There was the main room with a swanky looking bar at one side and a few tall tables with bar stools scattered close by, as well as a large wooden dancefloor and a stage on the other side, the Hollywood Sign behind it and large silver stars hanging from the ceiling. Then there was an archway, marked by two giant golden Oscar awards, which led to a modern-looking room with a chandelier and glass tables and zebra-print chairs scattered around, a buffet table of food against one wall. Then through another archway was the VIP area with a bouncer on the door who surprisingly let us in. The area consisted of four booths with cream leather sofas on a raised platform around glass tables. That was where we found Savannah, who pulled me into a hug and air-kissed me again, nearly falling out of her plunge-front silver dress which was completely covered in sequins. With a plunge front and a plunge back, almost down to her bum, she looked in her twenties. It was pretty, but too revealing for someone our age and I wondered why on earth her parents had let her out of the house like that.

'Savannah, darling.' A woman in her thirties in an equally revealing black dress appeared in the VIP room. 'Zed's band are ready to play in the main room. He's waiting for you.' She winked and I realised she was Savannah's mum. They had the same pearly white teeth and the same eyes.

'Ooh, great!' Savannah grinned and clapped her hands together before turning to me and my friends. 'Are you coming?'

My heart was racing and I felt sick. I was hoping to avoid Zed, although I wasn't sure making that obvious was a good thing. 'Erm, sure.'

The main room was buzzing when we returned, filled with party guests in suits, tuxedos and glamorous dresses. Some had gone for iconic looks, looking like Audrey Hepburn or Marilyn Monroe, and others had worn sparkly dresses worthy of the red carpet. Nelson and Yves waved us over from their position at the bar so we walked over to join them, ordering one of the mocktails being served.

'Ladies, you're looking fabulous.' Nelson said, flirtaciously, and Tina rolled her eyes in response as he wiggled his eyebrows.

'And you're looking rather dapper.' I replied, a small smile playing on my lips.

'Sky, you've always been my favourite.' He put his arm around my shoulders and this time Yves rolled his eyes.

'Any girl is your favourite.' Yves said, shaking his head.

'What can I say?' Nelson grinned. 'I just love the ladies.'

Yves smirked. 'It's just a shame then that they don't love you.'

We all laughed and Nelson squeezed my shoulder before releasing it as the venue lights dimmed and the onstage spotlights came on. The crowd went wild, cheering and screaming and Lucy gave my hand a reassuring squeeze, giving me a small smile from beside me. She knew I was nervous and she was letting me know that she was there to support me. _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ came onto the stage and went straight into _She Looks so Perfect_ , the crowd immediately dancing around, the girls flicking their hair as boys tried to dance with them. I sipped my mocktail by the bar, wishing I'd had some more champagne in the car on the way to the party. Zed started singing _Shut up and Dance_ and I looked away as his eyes met mine as he sang.

'What's going on with you two?' Yves eyeballed me suspiciously and my cheeks blushed.

'Nothing.'

'Right.' He nodded. 'Just because I left Morzine early doesn't mean I don't know what happened after I left. My brother's been in pieces and I've not seen him like this over a girl before.'

'Well he seemed pretty cosy with Amy on New Year's Eve and then he didn't bother to contact me.' I folded my arms across my chest.

'Because your father told him to keep away from you.'

My heart sank in my chest as I turned to face him, my voice only just above a whisper. 'What?'

'Your father spoke to my parents after what had happened and he was pretty angry, even more so when he found out that you went outside after an argument with Zed. He told Zed that he was trouble and a bad influence and that he was never to see you again or they'd be hell to pay.' Yves' face was sad and mine mirrored his as the news sank in. My father had banned Zed from contacting me without even asking my opinion. 'Believe me, Sky, my brother wanted to see you... to speak to you... but he was afraid of what your father would say or do. He is the King after all. That's a lot of pressure.'

My eyes started to tear up and I bit down on my tongue in an attempt to stop the tears. I didn't want to cry. 'I can't believe it.'

'I'm sorry.' Yves looked apologetic. 'But Zed cares about you and you deserve to know the truth.'

I felt sick and I felt miserable. I picked up my dress so that it didn't catch on my shoes and I hurried back into the now empty VIP room. Then I pulled out my phone and dialled my brother's number, not wanting to talk to my father.

'Sky? Are you okay?' He sounded concerned from the other end of the line. 'Do you need me to come and get you?'

'I'm fine.' I replied. 'Well not really... can father be quite controlling?'

He was quiet for a moment. 'I think you know the answer to that question. He did try to stop you from going to the party.'

I sank down into the chair as my eyes clouded over. 'I think he's the reason why Zed didn't come to see me or call me to check I was okay.'

'Go on...'

'Apparently he rang the Benedicts after the accident and he was so angry that he told Zed never to come near me again.' I frowned as I repeated the information Yves had given me. 'Would he do that, Phil?'

My brother sighed from the other end of the line and he paused before speaking. 'I'm sorry Sky but I wouldn't put it past him. He seems to have this hold over people.'

'Because he's king.'

'I don't know, there's more to it than that. He's quite often put thoughts into other people's heads, mine included and you feel like you can't push them away, you know? Like you have to do exactly what he's asked you to.' He paused again. 'I don't know, it's ridiculous, you can't put thoughts into someone's head.' He cleared his throat. 'Ignore me.'

But then you could if you were a savant, surely? Was that why Zed had been avoiding me, why he had done as my father had asked? He'd not been able to help it?

'Sky? Are you okay?' Lucy stood in the doorway, looking concerned.

I nodded before returning to my phonecall. 'Phil, I'll see you later. Bye.' I hung up the phone and slipped it back into my clutchbag.

'What was that about? What did Zed say to you?' She walked over to me.

'My father told Zed to stay away from me so he did.' Was all I could say to her.

'Oh, Sky.' She sighed and pulled me into a hug. 'See, I told you he didn't do it on purpose. He's probably afraid of your father, especially because he's King.'

'Yeah.' I nodded as she released me. Except there seemed to be a lot more to it than that.

The _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ set was short and ended with Savannah singing a cover of _I really like you_ by Carly Rae Jepsen with the band. She'd tried to make the song sexy as she shook her hair and wiggled her hips, moving around the stage and touching Zed's chest, but to me I could only think of the cheesy artist who had sang _Call me Maybe,_ possibly one of the most cringey songs of all time (it was up there with Rebecca Black's _Friday_ for sure). The song ended and everyone applauded as the band left the stage and disappeared to get changed into their party outfits, instead of the t-shirts and jeans they'd been wearing.

Savannah, however, took a bow, almost flashing her boobs as she did so, and stayed on the stage with a microphone. 'Welcome to my super sexy seventeenth!' She cooed and the audience cheered.

'You were right.' I said to Yves, who was stood with us. 'Totally My Super Sweet Sixteen.'

'Oh no, it's worse.' Lucy giggled.

'Thank you all so much for coming, it's amazing to see you all here for the best party _ever._ ' She beamed. 'Now my next special guest is even bigger than the gorgeous _Seven Minutes in Heaven.'_

'I hear it's Beyonce.' Tina said, folding her arms across her chest.

'Really? I heard it was The Script.' Zoe said.

'Give it up for Taylor Swift!' Cue more screams, even more hysterical than the last, as Savannah introduced Taylor Swift, who walked onto the stage with her band wearing a high-neck black dress with gold belt around the middle and mesh where each leg was.

'Well I didn't expect that.' I blinked as Taylor smiled at Savannah adjusting the mic stand.

'How on earth did she get Taylor Swift to play at her birthday?' Tina looked surprised like the rest of us.

'Zed said that her dad's studio was used for Taylor's new album.' Yves shrugged. 'So I guess she owed him a favour or something.'

'Hey everyone.' Taylor said into the microphone and the crowd went wild. 'I hope you don't mind this evening if I play some old stuff as well as new.' Cue more cheering and screams, including from Savannah who was stood at the side of her stage with her minions. 'Let's rock!' The opening music for _Shake it off_ started playing and Lucy grabbed my hands and we danced together, looking ridiculous with crazy dancemoves as we danced in our pretty dresses.

We sang and danced along until Nate whisked Lucy off to dance with her as Taylor sang some of her old stuff. The chords for _Mine_ started up and Zed walked into the room looking handsome in a tuxedo with a red bow tie. I sucked in a breath as he glanced my way, a smile playing on his lips.

 _Hollywood suits you. You look beautiful._

I gave a small smile back, running my fingers over the delicate beading of my dress. _Hollywood suits you too._

Savannah walked over to him, draping her arms around his neck and whispering something into his ear. My heart sank and she kissed his cheek, causing me to glance away and ignore whatever was going on between them. I turned to Yves and then he walked off, leaving me with Tina, Zoe and Nelson.

'Okay?' Tina asked and I simply nodded. Unlike Lucy, Tina didn't know me well enough to know when I was lying.

 _'We were both young when I first saw you_

 _I close my eyes and the flashback starts_

 _I'm standing there, on a balcony in summer air.'_

I sighed as one of my Taylor Swift songs was sang and couples around me began to dance together. I glanced over at Tina dancing with Nelson and I laughed to myself as the dancing pair passed Zoe and her dance partner. Of course Tina had a soft spot for Nelson. It was pretty obvious.

' _See the lights, see the party, the ballgowns_

 _See you make your way through the crowd and say hello_

 _Little did I know.'_

'Hey.' I glanced up at Zed's voice in surprise. I'd not even noticed him on his way through the crowd.

'Hello.' I replied with a small smile.

 _'That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles_

 _And my daddy said stay away from Juliet_

 _And I was crying on the staircase_

 _Begging you please don't go.'_

'Well this song seems somewhat ironic.' Zed laughed softly. 'Yves said he spoke to you.'

'He did.' I nodded, fiddling with some beading on my dress.

'I'm sorry Sky. I wanted to see you and I wanted to talk to you.' He frowned. 'I didn't want to leave things the way they were left. I care about you, I really do.'

 _'Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone._

 _I'll be waiting; all that's left to do is run.'_

'What about Savannah?' I glanced over to the girl who was watching our conversation and pouting, whilst having a conversation with her best friend.

'That's been over a long time, you know that.' His voice was sad.

 _'You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess,_

 _It's a love story, baby, just say, "Yes".'_

He held out his hand for me, a nervous smile playing on his lips. 'Dance with me... and before you ask, it's not a question.'

'Okay.' I let him take my hand and he placed his other hand on my waist, sending electric shocks through my skin with his touch. I placed my free hand on his shoulder and we started to step in time to the music.

 _'So I sneak out to the garden to see you._

 _We keep quiet 'cause we're dead if they knew_

 _So close your eyes... escape this town for a little while._

 _Oh, oh.'_

I caught Savannah's face and wondered if she was going to kill me. Her glare said it all and I tensed up, nervously. Zed glanced down at me, his brown eyes meeting my blue pools. 'What is it?'

'If looks could kill...' I signalled over to where Savannah was and he turned us so that he was facing her.

'Huh, I guess I've just ruined her birthday... oops.' He chuckled and I looked up at him in surprise at his light-heartedness.

 _''Cause you were Romeo - I was a scarlet letter,_

 _And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet"_

 _But you were everything to me,_

 _I was begging you, "Please don't go"_

 _And I said...'_

Zed twirled me around and then pulled me in so that I was closer to him, the two of us dancing together. He smiled down at me but I just couldn't relax. Too many eyes were on us. 'My dad's going to be seriously pissed.' I told him and Zed's forehead creased.

'He'll probably kill me.'

'Don't say that.' I looked at him in horror.

'Sky, I want this to work, so bad... it just feels right.' The hand on my back pushed me slightly closer to him, our bodies touching.

'I want it to work too.' I admitted, sadly. 'But my dad disapproves and I don't want him to make your life hell.'

 _'Romeo, save me, they're trying to tell me how to feel._

 _This love is difficult but it's real.'_

 _'_ Then I guess for now we don't tell your dad.' He whispered in my ear, sending goosebumps across my skin. I shivered.

 _'Don't be afraid, we'll make it out of this mess._

 _It's a love story, baby, just say, "Yes".'_

'But what if he finds out?' I bit my lip nervously.

 _He won't._ His voice was reassuring in my head. _We'll just have to be careful._

 _We're hardly being careful now._ My eyes moved around the room, signalling the party guests watching us.

 _Just let me have one dance with the most beautiful girl in the room._ He smiled down at me and I sighed, resting my head against his chest as we danced together in perfect time to the music.

I spent the rest of the evening having fun with my friends, Zed included, but I hated that I couldn't be close to him incase people suspsected more. At least Savannah was somewhat relieved that I was no longing hogging _her_ dancer partner. When Taylor's set finished, I ruined Savannah's party for the second time; Taylor knew me and joked around with my friends and I, despite her desperate attempts at attention from her idol. We posed for pictures together and Taylor Swift, my favourite country star, told me she'd text me about meeting up.

When we got home that night, the King was waiting for us, his arms folded and a stern look on his face. We were late. By about ten minutes. Not that I cared. 'You've passed curfew.'

'Sorry.' I replied, although not really meaning it. My friends shifted uncomfortably at my side as I folded my arms across my chest, mirroring my father's body language.

'Girls, go on off to your rooms. I'd like to chat with my daughter in private.' His voice was even but my friends still looked at me worriedly before disappearing up the corridor. 'When I give you a curfew, I expect you to keep to it.' His voice kept even but there was anger behind it.

'Sorry, we were enjoying ourselves and lost track of time. Besides, it was only ten minutes.'

'It might be only ten minutes, but you do as I say. I am your father and I expect you to respect me.'

'Like you respect me?' It came out before I could stop myself. 'Ruining my relationships, really father?'

'I don't know what you mean, now go to your bed.' His eyes locked on mine and he said the words forcefully and I wondered if it was supposed to be a command I obeyed.

'You told Zed Benedict to never see me or speak to me again.'

He looked taken aback, surprised that I knew about his game. 'He shouldn't have told you that.'

'He didn't.' I frowned at my father. 'You're a savant, aren't you?'

'Where did you hear that word?' His voice was just above a whisper and despite trying to keep his cool, he looked anxious. 'From your mother?'

'Where I heard it doesn't matter.' I said, cooly. 'You're a savant, aren't you? And your ability is that you can control people.'

'Except you, so it would seem.' He gave me a wary look. 'I don't know why I didn't realise you were a savant earlier. I should have expected it.'

'Was my mother your soulfinder?' I asked, suddenly.

His eyes looked hurt for a moment and then they turned to stone. 'Soulfinders are just a fairytale.'

'No they're not.'

'And let me guess, Mr Benedict is yours, hmm?' He frowned when I didn't say anything. 'You're not to see that boy again, do I make myself clear? You will choose a suitable suitor, one who will not damage our reputation, do I make myself clear?'

'You can't tell me who to date.' My eyes clouded over with tears of anger and of sadness.

'As your father and your king, yes I can. You are a princess, Sky, and you have expectations. We all do. You are not going to tarnish your image with some silly boy who likes female attention too much.'

A tear rolled down my cheek as I glared at my father. 'You don't even know him.'

'And I don't want to. Now go to bed before I ground you.'

I held up my dress and ran down the corridor as the tears escaped, just as the clock struck twelve.


	16. I love Paris

My friends and I hid in my room all Sunday, keeping out of my father's way. All I was thankful for was that he was heading to France the following Friday and then on to Germany for some meetings with the EU, some meetings that meant leaving us all behind. We spent the day watching Netflix and looking at the photos from the previous night that had cropped up on Facebook, some good and some bad. I'd even shared a photo from MTV that had been posted online of me and my squad on the red carpet. Then there was the picture of Taylor and I pouting, hands on hips, that she'd uploaded to Instagram, earning me more followers. We headed back to school late afternoon and I busied myself with homework, trying not to think about the argument I'd had with the King the night before.

A knock on the window that evening took me by surprise and Lucy grinned as she pulled back the curtain. I raised an eyebrow and her and she giggled. 'It's Zed and I think he wants you to sneak out.'

I glanced at the time; 8.30pm. It would still be dark out, but it wasn't late. What if we were caught? And my security guards might report back to my father.

 _Zed, we can't sneak out._

 _Yes we can. Just climb out the window. Lucy will cover for you, I'm sure._

'Come on, why are you just stood there?' Lucy was buzzing with excitement.

'Because my father will be furious if he finds out.' I frowned.

'But he won't find out.' She shrugged. 'Come on, a boy is at your window asking you to sneak out with him. It's romantic.' And he'd done that many times before, except she didn't know that. I glanced at the door, where my guards were stood on the other side. 'They won't come in and if they do I'll cover for you. I'll say your asleep already.' Lucy continued. 'Come on, be spontaneous, Juliet.'

'Okay.' I pulled on my warm coat over my sweater and jeans and then slipped my feet into my warm fur-lined boots. Then I hurried over to the window, pushing it open far enough to climb out. Zed smiled and glanced down to check the coast was clear. He nodded and I climbed out carefully into the tree beside Zed. He helped me done and we landed on the ground, ducking into the shade and away from the lampost lighting the pavement. 'This is completely insane.' I whispered and he turned around, shooting me an arrogant smile.

'Maybe, but isn't that what makes it more fun?' He whispered back, his breath tickling my ear and sending goosebumps across my skin. He grabbed my hand and pulled it up to his lips, kissing it gently. Then he looked around before leading the way through the darkness, away from the boarding house.

We ended up by the lake, sat on a picnic rug in the moonlight, tucked behind the trees where no one could see us. Other than the rustling of the leaves as rabbits ran over them or the ocassional hoot of an owl, it was quiet. Peaceful.

'Lucy will keep the secret, won't she?' Zed whispered, disturbing the silence.

I turned to face him and saw that worry was in his eyes; worried that my father would find out, worried what the consequences would be. 'Yes, she's very loyal.' I whispered back with a smile. 'Although if my father finds out she won't be able to lie to him. She'll be forced to tell the truth.'

'He's a savant, isn't he?'

I nodded. 'Otherwise it would make things a little easier.'

'Was he your mother's soulfinder?'

'He said that soulfinders don't exist, but I think he was lying.' I looked out at the water and sighed and Zed's fingers intertwined with mine. 'Is this going to work? Sneaking out all the time?'

'It's a little bit Romeo and Juliet, isn't it? Forbidden love.'

'It didn't work for them though, did it?' I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding and Zed squeezed my fingers.

'It worked for Bella and Edward though.' He said, trying to ease the tension.

I turned to look at him, a serious look on my face. 'I was always Team Jacob.'

Zed wrinkled his nose. 'A werewolf? Really?'

'Please tell me they're not real... just a race of powerful humans with super abilities, right?'

'No werewolves and no vampires, do not fret.' He placed a gentle kiss on my nose and then rested his forehead against mine, his eyes looking deep into my soul. 'I keep thinking of you in that dress last night. Don't get me wrong, you look beautiful right now but that dress... you looked like a dream.'

'A nightmare or a good dream?' I laughed and he smiled.

'Like the most perfect dream there ever was.' He pressed his lips to mine, kissing me softly and then his hand moved to the back of my head, tangling itself in my half-updo as he kissed me more passionately, like it was the last kiss we'd ever have. Fireworks shot through my body, the tingling travelling across my bloodstream and setting off every nerve. My breath deepened and he pulled away slowly, looking at my face carefully. 'That's the New Year's kiss we should have had.' He whispered as a tingling sensation tickled my lips where he had just kissed me. 'Now I know we're keeping this secret but we're going to have to tell Lucy and Nate for this to work because we'll definitely be creeping around, sneaking in and out of windows for sure.' He sighed. 'I just wish it didn't have to be like this. I'd love to have you on my arm, showing you off to everyone.'

'I'm not a possession.' I told him, my eyebrows raised.

'I know but I'd love to be able to shout from the rooftop that you're my girlfriend.' His hand caressed my cheek and I blushed. 'Are you going back to the palace this weekend?'

'I have to, that's my father's new ruling since the shooting.' I frowned and Zed kissed my forehead where the creases were, making me relax a little. 'Although he's leaving the country this weekend so maybe I can stay here or go to my apartment in Kensington.' Hope filled my stomach. I'd have to run it past the Queen but maybe she'd let me visit my apartment. How would I sneak Zed in, though?

'It's not going to be easy, but it's going to be worth it.' He told me and then he kissed me again.

'Well you seem a lot happier this week.' Zoe commented as we ate lunch on Wednesday . She spooned a mouthful of dumpling into her mouth as I cut the beef in my stew and tried to stop my cheeks from blushing.

'Workload has got less daunting.' I shrugged, hating that I was lying to my friend. Lucy and Nate were still the only people who knew about Zed and I and we were planning on keeping it that way.

'How do you get your assignments done so fast? I wish I had your willpower.' Tina sighed as Yves and Nelson sat down across from us. I felt disappointed that Zed was sat across the room, on another table, but his eyes would flicker across to meet mine every now and then and it was hard not to smile at him.

'I've just tried to get them out of the way so I have more time for other things.' Like sneaking out for late night picnics with Zed.

'Like watching _the Vampire Diaries_? You and Luce must have nearly finished that now, surely, with all your binge-watching?'

'Yeah we nearly have.' Lucy shrugged.

Zoe pointed her fork at us, threateningly. 'I can't believe you've been watching it without us. It's so damn rude.'

'Please tell me you're not any further into _Reign_ yet?' Tina's eyes looked sad.

'No, we're waiting for you for that one.' I smiled and my stomach churned, putting me off my food. Guilt. I hated feeling guilty, but I was protecting Zed and I. The fewer people that knew, the smaller the chance of my father finding out. I closed my knife and fork on my plate, no longer feeling hungry and Tina frowned.

'Lady Clarence isn't telling you to diet again is she? Because you're a perfect size 8 and you know it'll go from your boobs before anywhere else.' My red-headed friend tutted and I folded my arms across my chest, feeling self-conscious.

'I'm just not feeling so hungry today.'

English Literature dragged on that afternoon and it was pretty ironic when our teacher announced we'd be studying Romeo and Juliet for the rest of the half-term. He'd handed out small brand new green copies of the play, telling us to read the first scene before the next lesson so that we could discuss it as a class. He'd also suggested that we make notes on it as it would help with our final assignment when we'd read the whole book. I slipped it into my bag with my notepad as the bell rang and I hurried up the hall to science, Lucy racing to keep up with me. No one was sat in their seats when we got to the lab, but instead everyone was stood at the front of the room.

'Eugh, lab partner day.' Lucy groaned as we filed into the room, joining the over-crowded cluster of classmates.

'Lab partner day?' I shot her a puzzled look but Mrs Jones cleared her throat.

'Okay, let's get this sorted nice and quickly so that you aren't uncomfortable for long.' Mrs Jones clapped her hands together and then picked up the red clipboard she often had with her, the clipboard which we all wondered about. 'I will be assigning your lab partners for up until Easter and you and your partner will be completing some homework and assignments together this term. You will need to work together or I can assure you now that you will be failing the class. Do I make myself clear?' Everyone nodded. 'Good. Now there will be no exchanging partners, even if you beg your parents to call me and they ask me. This is final and has been agreed with your Headmaster.' She started calling off the names and gradually our classmates started to find seats with their new partner in the room. Lucy sighed as she was paired up with Dylan Hawkins, a guy with thick-rimmed glasses who often had his nose buried in a book, and Savannah looked disappointed when Zed's name wasn't called out with hers. 'Zed Benedict and Sky Bright.' Mrs Jones called out and my eyebrows shot up in the air in surprise as I glanced at Zed, who had a smile playing on his lips. We didn't say anything as we found ourselves a bench near the back and sat on it as the last few pairs sat down.

 _Well I think this works out pretty well. Now we have an excuse to see each other._ His voice said as our knees touched under the science bench. I pressed my knees together on the stool, trying not to touch as it only made the fireworks start up inside of me.

 _You tell that to my father._ I replied, pulling my science book and textbook out of my bag.

'So this term, as we spoke about last week before your test, we are studying biology and for the next few weeks we will be focussing on Ecosystems.' Mrs Jones wrote the title of the module on the Interactive White Board and then turned to face us. 'This means we will be going on a class trip.' Cue excited whispers in the room. 'To the Living Rainforest.' Cue more excited whispers. 'We will be going next week and your parents have been informed so they can withdraw your permission from the trip should they wish to. You will spend the day working with your lab partner so I suggest you get to know them a little better before then.' She flicked onto the next slide, revealing a picture of a leopard. 'Okay can anyone tell me what a food chain always starts with?' Hands went up and she looked over at Nate, who was busy staring at Lucy. 'Nathaniel.'

'Erm... producer.' He replied, lucky not to be caught out.

'And Mr Benedict, what would the producer be in this food chain?'

'Grass.' Zed said from beside me as he doodled in his science book. The images were almost tribal symbols and I wondered what they meant.

'I'm calling the school straight away.' My father said on the phone after I had finished that evening. His voice was thunderous and was almost scary.

'Mrs Jones said that we couldn't change partners even if our parents called the school.' I replied, fiddling with a strand of hair that had fallen out of my loose bun. I stretched out on the bed, thankful to be wearing jeans after a long day of school.

'I am not happy with you working with that boy.'

'Neither am I.' I lied. 'Lots of people aren't happy with their lab partners. Lucy's really upset about working with Dylan.' That part was true, at least. Dylan was a brainiac but he'd been nasty to Lucy when they were younger and she was holding a grudge. I didn't blame her.

'Well if Mrs Jones won't change partners then I only want you working in the library together at school or under supervision here. Do I make myself clear?'

'Yes.' I replied, knowing that he couldn't make us work under supervision when I was at school. It gave us more of a reason to be sneaking off together; working on our science assignment... or not.

There was a tap on the window and I glanced up, knowing it was Zed. Lucy had gone out with Nate for dinner so who knew what time they'd be back. I opened the curtain and smiled, holding up my hand for him to wait and I signalled to my phone.

'Maybe you should come to Europe with me.' My father said, catching me off-guard and I frowned. 'It will save you getting in trouble.'

'I'm not getting in trouble and I have a charity fundraiser to plan for four weeks time, remember?' One that I'd hardly planned anything for. I needed to call the Riding Centre and sort out the arrangements with them before I could book things. 'Plus there's a school trip next week and it'll help with my first science assignment so I don't want to miss it.'

'Well next weekend your brother and your... step mother are flying out for the Benefit in Paris. I'd like you to attend. We can fly you over on the jet after school on Friday and that way you will have some time to do some shopping or sightseeing whilst you're here. Plus I'd rather you were close by so that I can keep you safe.' He spoke quickly and a few weeks ago I'd have been dying to go to Paris but now the idea had me less than enthusiastic. 'And there will be lots of suitors attending too.' Even less enthusiastic if that was possible. 'Other Royals have been dying to meet you as have some members of parliament. It would be very good exposure.' That seemed to be all I was good for.

'I'm guessing I don't have a choice exactly.' I sighed.

'I don't understand why you have become so defiant but no, you do not have a choice. I'll get Nina to sort out a dress for you and your outfits for the weekend. It's important for one to look their best, especially in the fashion capital of the world. Goodbye Sky.' And then he was gone. I groaned and opened the window latch, letting Zed climb in carefully.

He frowned when he saw my irritated facial expression. 'What's wrong?'

'I have Royal Duties next weekend.' I wrinkled my nose. 'I'm going to Paris.'

'That won't be so bad, will it?'

'Apparently there will be plenty of suitors for me.'

'I see.' He frowned and took my hands in his, pulling me towards him. He wrapped his arms around me and I rested my head against his chest, feeling his heartbeat through his hoodie. He rested his chin on top of my head and sighed. 'Well your suitors are going to love you.'

'Short and clumsy me? Don't be ridiculous.' I mumbled into his chest and he kissed the top of my head.

'Beautiful, talented and clever _you._ I'm going to have some competition.' He was quiet for a moment. 'Do you think this is part of your dad's plan to keep you away from me?'

'Quite possibly.' I moved my head to look up at him. 'It doesn't mean it will work though.' I nudged my iPod, turning it on so that my security guards couldn't hear our voices and Zed smiled down at me, a sad smile. I stood on my tiptoes and reached up, kissing him gently on the lips. He relaxed a little into the kiss and bent down, wrapping his arms tighter around my waist as he kissed me, his lips moving against mine and giving me that familiar tingling sensation. He pressed my back against the wall as he kissed me, keeping me prisoner to his kisses. Not that it was a bad thing. I reached up, tangling my hands in his hair as we kissed and his kisses became harder, more passionate, leaving me breathless.

'Oops, sorry guys.' Lucy's voice interrupted our make-out session by closing the door and I blushed as Zed pulled away from me, running a hand through his hair. 'I would have knocked,' she continued, 'but then I think Ciara and co might have been a little suspicious.'

'Yeah they would have.' I replied, awkwardly, sure that my face was the colour of a tomato or even a beetroot. Some brightly coloured fruit or vegetable anyway.

'I guess I'll be off.' Zed gave me a small smile and I knew that he was thinking the same as me; it sucked that we didn't have more time together. 'I'll see you tomorrow?'

I nodded and he kissed my forehead before ducking back out of the window. I sank into my bed with a sigh and Lucy listened as I filled her in on the Paris trip. She frowned when I had finished speaking, crossing her arms across her chest.

'Suitors? What is this, The Princess Diaries?'

'Feels like it, only worse.' I rested my head against the wall.

'Have you spoken to Sally and Simon about this business?' She asked, cocking her head to the side.

'I could do, but they don't have the same rights because he's my real dad... unfortunately they wouldn't get a say in the situation.' I grabbed one of my cushions and hugged it against myself. 'You know I hated being a princess before? Well now I hate it even more.'

And I hated it even more on Saturday as I walked about the community hall in the riding centre trying to envision a huge, fancy party taking place there. It wasn't easy to imagine. The room was cold with bland peeling wallpaper and dusty wooden flooring. The party planner and Nina scurried around behind me, noting down everything I was telling them that needed sorted, whilst Clara watched me pacing, a worried expression on her face.

'The floors need cleaning, definitely... and the walls... can we cover the walls and ceiling with some draped white cloth like they do at weddings? If we aim lights at them it'll look pretty and quite elegant won't it?'

'Absolutely.' They chorused, nodding and giving me a reassuring smile.

I looked up at the ceiling. 'And some fairylights on the ceiling would be nice.'

'I'm thinking twirling fairytale trees for center pieces? If they're tall enough they'll make the room look like a fantasy forest. It will match the theme perfectly.' The party planner suggested, showing me an image of a wedding reception on her iPad.

I nodded. 'That would work well. Nina, how are we doing for music?'

'Taylor Swift said she'd love to help you and I've got Lady Antebellum's details if you're interested. I can give them a call.' Nina replied.

Lady Antebellum. My favourite band of all time. I tried not to squeal, giving them a calm and collected smile instead. 'That could work.' The door of the hall opened and I blinked in surprise as The Queen walked in. I curtsied as did the other women in the room and she smiled in greeting. 'This is a nice surprise.' I said. Nice or a nerve-racking one. She'd planned many events over the year and I was worried I'd do something wrong or not live up to her high expectations.

'I wanted to see how you were getting on.' She looked around the room and it made me nervous.

'It needs a lot of work, your majesty.' Clara said nervously, referring to the old hall.

'Please dear, just call me Roseanna. I assume you are Clara, the owner of the centre?' She held out her hand and gave Clara a friendly smile as she shook it.

'Yes, m'aam.' She swallowed and glanced over at me.

'It's lovely to meet you.'

'And you.'

Queen Roseanna glanced over at me. 'Your dress for Paris arrived.'

'Oh, lovely.' I said, casually. 'Well I'm just about finished up here and I've got a study meeting this afternoon with my lab partner so I'll head back to the palace later.'

'Why don't we go and collect your lab partner and then we can all have lunch together at the palace?' She suggested, putting on her tan leather gloves. I shifted uncomfortably, wondering if she knew about Zed. 'I'm not planning on supervising you and Mr Benedict this afternoon, I think that's a poor choice on my husband's part, but it will be much warmer in our library then the one at your school and then I can send afternoon tea in for you.' I looked over at her in surprise and she tapped her nose, showing it would be kept between the two of us. 'Well, Sky?'

I gave her a shy smile. 'Sounds good.'

Zed was perhaps even more surprised than me when we pulled up outside the boarding house in the chaffeur-driver car. In fact, he almost looked afraid and that made my heart ache. He hesitantly climbed into the car, sitting opposite the Queen and I as our classmates stared on in disbelief, surprised they'd caught a glimpse of the Queen. Then the car drove back up the driveway as Zed fastened his seatbelt after greeting Roseanna.

'Are you alright dear? You look a little pale.' The Queen commented, giving him a concerned look that reflected his own.

'Sorry your majesty, I guess I've just been taken by surprise.' He glanced over at me before adding telepathically, _I was hoping for an afternoon of having you to myself._

 _You do._ I told him. _She's told me she doesn't believe in supervising me and she thought the palace library would be comfier for us._

He looked hopeful as he glanced over at me and then back at the Queen, who was watching us both carefully, a small smile playing on her lips. Did she know?

'So Zed, it was your family who took Sky to Morzine then?' Roseanna said, breaking the awkward silence.

'Erm yes...' He stuttered. 'And I'm so sorry for what happened, I'll never forgive myself.'

'Don't be so silly.' She tutted. 'It wasn't your fault.' She gave him a reassuring smile. 'So what are you two studying in science this term then?'

'Ecosystems.' I replied, piping in.

'We're looking at food chains specifically over the next few weeks and we're going on a class trip to the Living Rainforest.' Zed added, relaxing a little.

'I've never been but it sounds exciting.' Roseanna said as we passed through Kingston-Upon-Thames, the police escort now in front of the car.

'Yeah.' Zed nodded. 'It should be pretty interesting.'

The Queen continued to make polite conversation, asking Zed and I questions as we ate lunch with her and then we were excused to the library, armed with the brand new laptop my father had bought me and some books from our school library. I sank down onto the comfy leather sofa that was my favourite and Zed sat down beside me, more relaxed than he had been but still just a little tense. The door was closed by the guard guarding it and he let out a breath I didn't realise he had been holding.

'Now that's better.' He commented, picking up a textbook. _'The vast majority of terrestrial life is powered ultimately by solar energy which is fixed by photosynthesis in autotrophs.'_

'I think she's alright you know.'

'Who?'

'Queen Roseanna. She's stuck up for me a few times. I think she's alright I guess, for a stepmother or whatever she is.' My eyes met his and he gave a small smile.

'I'm glad she's not like those stepmothers in fairytales.'

'Me too, but I guess my father's the villain in this story.' I sighed and I looked down at the textbook Zed had been reading. _'Primary consumers feed on the autotrophs; secondary consumers feed on these, and so on: energy is transferred from one organism to another.'_

He closed the book and pressed his lips to mine, gently. 'How about we do something other than work for a while?'

I raised my eyebrows. 'What did you have in mind?'

And he kissed me again, showing me _exactly_ what he had in mind.

The Living Rainforest was an hour away from London along the motorway, so the journey was pleasant and I sat next to Zed, claiming that we had lab partner stuff to talk about as we held hands under the warm coat I had placed over our laps. The rainforest was housed in glass houses and was said to be home to over seven hundred species including plants, animals, birds and butterflies. It felt like stepping into another world as we walked into a glass house, the warm and damp air surrounding us and making me thankful that I'd left my coat in the cloakroom on the way in with my satchel. I tapped my pen against my notepad as I looked around in awe at the canopies and large green plants wondering how I'd felt if I ever visited the Amazon Rainforest.

'I'm going to give you half an hour to explore and then we'll meet back here and discuss some of the things you have seen that we can create food chains for.' Mrs Jones explained and almost straight away, our peers rushed off.

'Zed, baby, maybe we can sneak off together?' Savannah suggested when our teacher was out of earshot. She twirled a strand of hair around her finger whilst her partner, braniac Evee, looked bored and irritated.

'We're supposed to stay with our lab partners.' Zed replied, tucking his pencil behind his ear.

'But Mrs Jones won't know that we've snuck off. We can do a simple swap.' She purred and I raised my eyebrows. A swap? Really?

'Savannah, unlike you I'm actually taking this assignment seriously and I'd like to stop wasting time now.' Evee said, clearly not fussed about upsetting our school Queen Bee. Savannah gawped at her in response.

'Don't you dare speak to me like that.'

'Fine, then fail and I'll get the grade by myself.' She turned to walk off and Savannah looked over at Zed, who simply shrugged.

'Sorry, but Sky's my partner.' He said and she huffed before stalking off after her partner. 'She is some serious hard work.' He whistled once she was out of earshot.

'And she was your girlfriend for _how_ long?' I raised an eyebrow as we walked along a path, passing a cute little tortoise en route.

'We weren't really ever official.' He wrinkled his nose and I raised my eyebrows. 'Sorry, too much info?'

'Yeah a little.' An awkward silence hung in the air and a bird squawked from a short distance away. Then I spotted a furry friend watching us with beady eyes from his position upside-down on a branch. 'Hey, a sloth!' I said excitedly, tilting my head to the side. 'You're pretty cute.'

'Thanks.' Zed replied cockily and I rolled my eyes.

'Believe me, this guy is way cuter.' I signalled to the sloth who really moved as slow as they said. He blinked as he watched me and I smiled as I admired his sharp claws that were holding him in place. 'What does he eat?'

'Leaves and insects I believe.' Zed replied, scribbling something onto his notepad.

'So the food chain must go leaves, insects, sloth and then...' I paused for a moment. 'Why do I have this awful feeling he's not top of the food chain?'

'I think you're right.' He chewed on the end of his pencil and the action was kind of sexy. I bit my lip as I watched him, desperately wanting to press my lips to his, but sadly my security crew were stood just a few metres away, watching us and the room carefully. Mood killers, definitely.

'Didn't we read about this at the weekend?'

'We did.' He looked thoughtful for a moment. 'Jaguars. Jaguars eat sloths and the harpy eagle too.'

I looked at the cute furry creature in front of me and frowned. 'You poor thing.' I glanced over at Zed and realised he was watching me, an intense expression on his face. 'What?'

 _I just really want to kiss you right now._

I swallowed, shifting my gaze. _We did a lot of kissing last night._ We'd snuck out to our place down by the lake again.

 _That doesn't mean we've done enough._

I felt my cheeks blush and I quickly scribbled the foodchain of a sloth down on my notepad, diverting my attention away from the subject of kissing.

'So Paris on Friday, huh? Are you packed?' He changed the subject formally, his gaze flickering over to where my security guards watched us, serious expressions on their faces.

'I don't need to... it would be a waste of time because Nina would just repack for me.' I wrinkled my nose at the thought of her packing all of these serious-looking clothes I'd never wear. The joys of having a personal assistant.

'Are you looking forward to it?'

He knew I wasn't. I'd hardly stopped moaning about how much I was dreading the benefit, but this was all for show. The guards were pretending not to listen, but they clearly were. 'Yeah, I guess.' I lied and Zed's eyes became sympathetic as he turned his back to my security team. I glanced at my watch. 'We'd better get back to Mrs Jones.'

Friday came around a little too quickly and I didn't even have time to say goodbye to Zed before the car picked me up to take me to the airport. I'd not even changed out of my school uniform as apparently that could wait until I was on the jet. Lucy gave me a hug and I was ushered into the car, watching Zed's sad face as it drove away and up the long driveway towards the airport.

'Hey sis.' Phillip said when I walked onto the fancy jet, joining him and Queen Roseanna. 'Now you're here the fun can begin.' I sighed and sat down without a word, looking out of the window at the runway. 'Don't most girls usually get excited about going to Paris?'

'I'm not most girls.' I had replied.

'Yeah and doesn't Mark know it.' He chuckled.

I'd changed into some smart black jeans, a cream silk blouse, a brown neck tie and a tweed blazer on the plane, picked out for me to wear with my riding boots, and I'd brushed my hair before pulling it up into a neater bun, as requested by Nina. The reason for changing was because the press had met us at the airport, taking photographs and asking questions as the three member of the royal family left the plane and got into a car together in silence, smiles plastered on our faces. And then we'd repeated the process all over again when we'd arrived at the Grand Hotel, which was just by the Eiffel Tower. I'd watched the streets of Paris flashing past, their lights lighting up the sky as the city buzzed to life behind the glass windows of the car. It was a beautiful city. The reviews, the movies... they'd all been right. It was just a shame I'd not been there under different circumstances. The hotel lobby was decorated with cream ceilings with large chandeliers on them and the polished patterned marble floors were incredibly expensive looking, making me glad my boots had been cleaned so that they were mud-free. A line of staff had greeted us with curtises or bows on arrival and it all felt terribly formal as Phillip, Roseanna and I passed them, greeting them in French with a 'bonsoir.'

Our rooms were on the top floor, suites next to my father's. His room was obvious as there was already a guard stood outside and Roseanna kissed Phillip and I on the cheek before disappearing inside, her luggage following her. Then Phillip exited to his room, his security marking that door. Mine was opened for me by Dimitri and I cautiously stepped inside as my guards did a quick sweep, checking it was safe. They nodded before leaving me to it, closing the door behind me in the foreign room in a foreign land. The floors were made of a thick blue carpet and I slipped off my boots, enjoying the warmth of it as I explored. The room was probably light in the day, with two large windows and a set of patio doors letting in the light of the city, a chandelier over my head. There were two blue armchairs next to a table, where a tea set was laid out, still hot. The bed with its luxury cream linen was king-size and despite looking comfortable, I couldn't help but wish I had Zed to curl up to on it, keeping me company. There was a full-length mirror and then a large wardrobe opposite, where my suitcase was next to, my dress bag containing my ballgown draped over it. Then there was the balcony behind the patio doors... I opened the doors and stepped outside, gasping. The Eiffel Tower was right there. Just past the breakfast table and chairs. I snapped a photo, admiring its beauty even at night, when it was lit up and sparkling like glitter. Then I sent the picture to Lucy and Zed, wishing they were here to enjoy it with me. I stepped back inside, hiding from the evening chill, and found the bathroom with its marble flooring, cream sink unit and large spa bath next to the toilet. It was all heavenly and no doubt very expensive.

 _It looks fabulous! What's the rest of the room like? Lucy xx_

I smiled and sent her a few more pictures before lying down on my bed, sinking into the soft mattress.

 _I wish I could be there to hold you and kiss you right now in front of the Eiffel Tower- Z xx_

I sighed, feeling sad as I looked at the empty space beside me, imagining the sound of Zed's heartbeat and the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed next to me. The feel of his lips on mine...

 _I wish you were too xx_


	17. You'll be the prince

**AN: Anon- I have a few more chapters of Rising Flames but lost interest in posting as no one reviewed it! I might post some more though if you were reading it! I might do another story but I will think about it as I'm a teacher so I work 7am-10pm weekdays and often I work a lot at the weekends too so it's a little time dependent! I hope you enjoy this chapter...**

The dress hung there, staring at me as my hair and make-up was done for the ball. It was staring me in the face and taunting me with its beauty, almost a warning that tonight couldn't be perfect. You couldn't have the perfect dress and have the perfect evening, could you? Things didn't work that way. The princess would leave at midnight. Her dress would turn to rags. She'd lose the guy. I looked at the royal blue strapless dress that reminded me of the film Anastasia, the one about the lost Russian princess that I'd watched a lot when I was little, willing that to be, willing for someone to come and adopt me and let me be a princess. My wish had come true of course, you had to be careful what you wished for. The blue dress was simple but elegant, a soft sweetheart shape with sparkling diamante around the sweetheart feature and delicate diamante around the waist before the skirt of the dress fell outwards and to the floor in a classic a-line.

'It's a beautiful dress, your highness.' The hairdresser told me with a smile as she pinned my curls into a loose updo, curls still falling to frame my face. I tried to feel positive, tried to remind myself that I'd had quite a nice day of sight-seeing in Paris with my brother, visiting the Eiffel Tower and other places around the city, whilst being heavily guarded and photographed of course. There was a knock at the door.

'Come in!' I called, deciding not to reply to the hairdresser incase I said something that I would regret.

In stepped the Queen and the staff curtsied or bowed as appropriate as she entered. I gave her a friendly smile as she walked in with a velvet box, looking the perfect Queen in a sparkly navy ballgown that made her figure look even slimmer. Her hair was pinned up as normal and her crown sat on her head and a diamond necklace around her neck. 'You look lovely.' She told me as my eyes flicked to my reflection. My make-up was en-pointe and made my eyes sparkle and my hair looked pretty nice up. But I was still in my pyjamas. 'I came to deliver this.' She walked over to me with the box, carefully opening it and pulling out my tiara. She placed it carefully on my head and smiled. 'That's better.'

'Can I just go in my pyjamas?' I asked, seriously, as I looked at the girl in the mirror that I found hard to recognise these days.

'That sounds like my kind of party.' Roseanna chuckled, softly. She looked over at my dress. 'Do you not like the dress? It's lovely.'

'Oh it is, it's perfect.'

'But something... someone is missing?' She tilted her head to the side as she looked back to me and I shifted, uncomfortably in my seat. 'Staff, you may leave.' She dismissed the staff and they bowed/curtsied again before leaving as my heart raced against my chest. She knew. 'You and Zed obviously care a lot for each other.' She whispered, her voice soft as it confirmed my thoughts. She'd known all along hadn't she? 'You don't need to be afraid Sky, I'm not going to tell your father... I know he's not... best pleased about the idea.'

'He doesn't want us anywhere near each other. He thinks Zed is trouble.' I whispered, my eyes tearing up.

'I thought that too, but then I saw how he looked at you last weekend, like you're his whole world.' She squeezed my hand. 'I don't remember the last time someone looked at me like that.'

'I'm sorry.' I whispered, looking away from her gaze.

'No I'm sorry things aren't different. You've had to sacrifice a lot being a princess, you shouldn't have to sacrifice your heart too.' She caught a tear as it fell, wiping it away gently with her thumb. A motherly gesture that warmed my heart. 'Come on, I'll help you with your dress.' I slipped on the dress carefully over my underwear and Roseanna pulled the ribbons of the corset back for me, fastening it securely in place. I wondered how on earth girls used to wear dresses like that on a daily basis. It took a lot of effort and you'd have to have help doing so. Then she passed me my white silk gloves and I slipped them on carefully. She stood back and smiled at me. 'You're definitely the best princess I've ever seen.'

I blushed, thinking of all of the times I'd seen her on the television and wondered if the niceness was an act. It wasn't. She was a lovely Queen. 'Thank you.'

She took my hand and squeezed it with a reassuring smile. 'Shall we go?'

The Opera Ballroom in the Paris Le Grand hotel was straight out of Beauty and the Beast. The room was circular with windows spread around it, a high golden ceiling with painted decor and a huge feature chandelier hanging in the middle of it. The floor was red with intricate patterns on it and the whole place was a grand masterpiece. It gave me goosebumps. As usual, we were announced on our way in as were the Royal families from Sweden, Norway, Spain and Monaco, who were in attendance. I looked around the room in awe and Phillip laughed, making me elbow him in the ribs.

'Hey! That wasn't very ladylike.' He complained, mockingly rubbing where I'd elbowed him. 'Don't let the dress fall you folks, she's wicked this one.' I frowned at him and his teasing face was replaced by a concerned one. 'What's wrong? You've not been right since we got here. Did mother say something to you when she came to your room?'

'No, your mother is lovely.' I told him with a small smile and I really meant it. She was everything a mother should be.

'Is father still giving you a hard time?' He looked sympathetic and I realised our father was watching us as he spoke a man and woman across the room. 'It'll get easier.' Phillip squeezed my hand and gave me a small smile.

'You know there are suitors here to see me apparently.' My eyes flickered around the room and I furrowed my brows together. 'I feel like I'm being sold off.'

'He'd _never_ do that.' Phillip said. 'Although dear sis, you seem to be getting quite a lot of male attention.' He chuckled and I looked up, realising he was true. There were about three boys my age, two that must have been just a little older and the rest were either too young or too old to be looking at me. Ick. A beautiful dark haired girl with a golden tan wearing a pink ballgown and white gloves appeared by us. She curtsied as Phillip bowed. 'An honor to see you Isabella.' My brother said formally as he took her gloved hand and kissed it. 'I don't believe you've met my sister, Sky.'

'Lovely to meet you.' She shook my hand and I felt envious of the long eyelashes she had which I was sure were real. She was incredibly pretty and her accent confirmed she was the Spanish princess.

'And you.' I smiled back at her as the music started up.

'Isabella, would you do me the honor of sharing the first dance with me?' My brother said smoothly and I resisted rolling my eyes at him.

'Of course.' She smiled and he whisked her away to the dancefloor, leaving me alone.

'Your royal highness.' I turned to see a guy with brunette hair and a rather large nose stood bowing in front of me, medals on his suit suggesting he was probably a prince or someone equally important.

'Uhm hello...'

'Prince Sven of Sweden.' He held his hand out for me and when I gave it to him he kissed it. It took everything in me not to cringe. My father was still watching, the Queen at his side giving me a reassuring smile. 'May I have this dance?'

'Erm yes?' It came out more like a question than an answer, but he didn't take any time whisking me to the dancefloor and dancing quickly to the music. I bit my lip as I lost my footing but he continued to dance and I wondered if he was a secret ballroom dancer. His moves were agile and quick and he didn't need to stop for breath as he turned me around so many times that I felt dizzy by the end of the song. It was over and I politely curtsied as he bowed and then I excused myself for a drink.

'Well that was quite a show.' A girl about my age said from beside me, chuckling to herself. I spotted the tiara and went to curtsy but she tutted. 'Please, we're both of equal status and I'm sure you find it all as ridiculous as I do.'

I smiled at her, the first genuine smile of the night, and I held out my hand. 'Sky.'

'Lolly.' She shook my hand firmly and I raised an eyebrow at her name. 'My name's Laura but I hate it so my friends just call me Lolly. You're the new English princess right?'

'I guess so.' I sighed, watching as my brother twirled Isabella around the floor.

'Well I'm the old princess of Norway.' She chuckled in her accent, adjusting the tiara on her blonde head. 'I'm old news.'

'I think I'd rather be old news right now.' I replied as another _suitor_ approached. This one, again, was older, and had very short hair and a receeding hair line.

'I'm sorry but Princess Sky is on a break at the moment.' Lolly said with a sweet smile and the guy bowed before walking off, back to his business.

'You're a life saver.' I told her. 'Thank you so much.'

She passed me a glass of wine. 'You're welcome. I guess it means you owe me now, though.'

'Oh?'

'Dance with my brother later, will you?' She signalled to the guy across the room with the blonde hair that had been pushed backwards into a kinda messy but classy hairstyle **(AN: He looks like Austin Butler).** His suit and sash with medals showed that he was a prince, but he seemed relaxed as he laughed at something the older gentleman he was talking to said. He glanced our way and smiled a friendly smile and I gave a small smile back.

'I don't know...' I trailed off, sipping at my wine.

'Please. I told him I'd get a girl to dance with him tonight and he said that if I find the most beautiful girl in the room and she says yes then I get his Xbox for the whole week!' She grinned.

'Well you're wrong there because I'm hardly the most beautiful girl in the room.' I glanced at perfect Isabella and my brother. Then there were some of the other girls my age, who were dancing with suitors or chatting away to other guests.

'We'll see what Seb says about that.' She chuckled, turning to face me. ' _Please_.' I hadn't even seen my father approaching until I saw Lolly's formal curtsy and heard her say. 'Your majesty.'

I glanced up at him nervously at curtsied too, something I was expected to do at public events. 'Are you enjoying the party, father?' I asked him politely and he smiled down at me, a smile that could have been genuine to any eyes but my own.

'Very much so. And you?'

'Yes.' I replied. 'This is Her Royal Highness Princess Laura of Norway.'

'It's lovely to see that you have made a friend so early on the evening.' He replied, smiling at Lolly. 'I hope you don't mind if I borrow my daughter your highness but there's a few people I'd like to introduce her to.'

'Actually your majesty, if you don't mind,' she glanced at me and then over my shoulder, 'I think my brother here was just about to ask Princess Sky to dance.'

My father stepped aside and was greeted by Seb, who bowed. 'Your majesty.' He said with his thick accent. Tina would die right there and then. She loved European eyes and his light blue eyes were a contrast to my deep blue. His face was perfectly proportionned and had a very slight tan to it, contrasting with his blonde hair. He was a good-looking prince, there was no doubt about it. Seb turned to face his sister and I and bowed again. 'Your majesty, may I please have the pleasure of dancing with your daughter?' He asked my father and I watched as my father's eyebrows shot up in surprise before a smile crept across his face.

'Prince Sebastien, of course.' He replied, nodding to show he approved. I knew what he was thinking; here's a suitor for you, someone I actually like.

'If that's okay with you of course your highness?' Seb turned to me, his hand outstretched and his lips pressed together in a small smile. I glanced over at Lolly and realised she was smiling at me, urging me to say yes so that she would get access to the Xbox for a week. If it would get me out of dancing with some other strange men...

'Of course.' I said softly and I let him lead me past my father and onto the dancefloor. He placed his hand on the small of my back and took my right hand in his left, leading us in a perfect waltz across the floor. I could do slower dancing and I felt relieved.

'Sky, right?' He smiled at me, a smile that would make Tina cry hysterically. If she was here right now...

'Sebastien, right?' My eyes flicked to his.

He chuckled. 'Please call me Seb. My parents only call me Sebastien when I'm in trouble.'

I raised my eyebrows. 'Is that often?'

'I don't know, ask Lolly.' He smiled before sighing. 'If only you weren't here, Sky, now I have to let my sister play on the Xbox for a week.'

It was a half-compliment I realised, but I wasn't going to fish for compliments by questionning it. 'Are you the crown prince?' I asked in a stupid attempt of making smalltalk. I apologised when I realised it made me sound dumb. 'Sorry, I've not really learnt about the other monarchies yet.'

'That's fine.' His eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled. 'But yes, like your brother I am the crown prince.' I let out a deep breath and he laughed again, his laugh a melodious sound. 'What?'

'Rather you than me. It's tough enough being a princess.'

'It'll get easier, darling.' He twirled me around and then I was back facing him and my mind was questionning his use of _darling._ 'You just have to give it a little time. I think you're doing rather well, personally.'

'It's a shame not everyone thinks that.'

He looked sad for a moment; sad for me or himself I wasn't sure. 'If there's one thing I've learnt it's that you can't please everyone so don't try to. Just be true to yourself and then you are being the best you can be.'

The song ended soon after and Seb politely bowed to me as I curtsied, as tradition. He held his arm out for me and I took it, aware that several other male party guests were looking over, perhaps to see if I would dance with them next. The thought horrified me, so I decided I'd wait with Seb just a little bit longer. Lolly passed us, making a face, and I realised she was dancing with my first dance partner of the evening, trying to keep up. Seb chuckled as I giggled, watching her feet move quickly. She was possibly a worse dancer than me. Maybe.

'So tell me about yourself.' Seb said, grabbing two flutes of champagne from a passing waitor. He passed me one carefully and I took a sip. It tasted expensive.

'What would you like to know?' I asked. My hands felt clammy beneath my gloves and I wished I could take them off. What an irritating tradition. Gloves inside? Really?

'What are your interests?' He turned to face me and then frowned. 'I'm sorry, that sounds terribly formal.' He paused for a moment. 'If you could have dinner with anyone, alive or dead, who would it be and why?' He smiled at his thought-provoking question and he watched me with a soft gaze as I thought of an answer.

'Audrey Hepburn.' I replied with a small smile after thinking for a moment.

'Oh?'

'For one, she was beautiful and classy but was humble about it. She also lived to help others. All that work for UNICEF was inspiring and she was a hard worker throughout her life. I'd love to be like her.'

'And are you interested in working with any charities or foundations?' He looked intrigued.

'I've been volunteering at a riding centre for children with disabilities near my school.' I explained. 'I've got a fundraising ball in a few weeks that I'm planning for it at the moment as they really need some more funding to keep open. I hope I can show people that it is a worthy cause.'

'I'm sure you will.' He said and it really was like he believed in me, only if he'd only known me for quarter of an hour.

'And what about you? Who would you have dinner with?' I asked, realising he'd done a lot of listening whilst I'd done a lot of talking. That was bad etiquette. Lady Clarence would slap my wrists for it.

'My grandfather.' He said, his eyes turning sad. 'He was my biggest influence, my hero. He ran a country despite having lots of children and he scrapped so many out-dated rules and allowed women to be in the line for the crown. Yet amongst all that, he still had time for family dinner every night without fail and he taught me to fish.'

'He sounds wonderful.' I told him, meaning it. I touched his arm gently, reassuringly.

'He was.' He said, proudly.

'Thanks for saving me like I saved you.' Lolly appeared back at our sight looking flushed and tired. 'How does he still have energy?'

'Redbull in his champagne?' I offered and Seb chuckled at my joke.

'This party is as dull as the rest of them.' She grabbed a flute of champagne and looked out onto the dancefloor. 'Where's the real music? The Killers or Ed Sheeran?' She turned to Seb and I. 'Please tell me you're disliking this as much as me.'

I shrugged. 'It's not so bad now I've not people to talk to.' I gave them a small smile. 'And the room likes the ballroom in Beauty and the Beast.'

'It was modelled on it, apparently.' Seb told me. 'You can see with the chandelier. Hold on.' He pulled an iPhone out of his pocket, typed something and then held up a picture of the ballroom in Beauty and the Beast. 'The flooring, the detailed ceiling, the lining of the windows.'

'Wow.' I smiled, appreciating the beauty of the room even more than I already had.

'Do you like Beauty and the Beast?' He cocked his head to the side.

'Disney is a guilty pleasure.' I said, holding up my free hand.

'Mine too, we're going to Disneyland tomorrow!' Lolly beamed, looking at her older brother excitedly. She looked more like an excited kid then a sixteen-year-old at this point.

'That's on my list of places to visit.' I replied, my mouth twitching at the comments as I watched her practically buzzing with excitement.

'You should come with us!' She grabbed my arm.

'I couldn't possibly. I've not school on Monday and I doubt my father would agree to it.' He wouldn't agree to much at all at that moment of time. I spotted him across the room at the same time as Lolly and Seb and they both smiled.

'Our parents are speaking to him.' Lolly said, grinning.

'A prime time to ask.' Seb replied, holding out his arm for me as I finished my champagne. 'Shall we?'

For whatever reason, my father had agreed to let me go to Disneyland and even had said he'd change the flight to Monday and he'd call the school to let them know I wouldn't be back until Monday afternoon. He'd said the day out would be good for me. Probably because Sebastien was the Norwegian heir to the throne, good husband material. He probably saw it as a date, even though Princess Laura would be with us.

I woke up in a good mood on Sunday, nonetheless. I showered quickly and pulled on some warm tights, my grey wool skirt with a bow at the back, a tank top and then a warm cream cashmere jumper over the top. I slipped on my black riding boots and looked in the mirror; it was preppy and warm, just what had probably gone through Nina's head when she'd packed for me. By now I guessed that Princess Sky's signature style was preppy. I didn't mind. I quite liked it but sometimes it was nice to shake things up a little. I ran a hand through my tousled girls and applied some subtle day make-up, finishing just as there was a knock at the door. I answered it and found Seb stood there in slim-fit jeans, a pale blue shirt and a grey cashmere jumper with a smart black coat over the top.

'Good morning.' He said politely, nodding his head to me.

'Good morning.' I replied, giving him a small smile. 'Let me just grab my coat.' I picked up my coat and I was surprised when Seb took it from me, opening it up so that I could slip my arms inside. 'Thank you.' I said and I pulled on my bag.

'Ready?' He asked, his eyes meeting mine as I turned around.

'Yes.'

The park was already busy when we arrived after having some of our security in the car in front and some in the car behind as Seb and Lolly's chaffeur drove us the forty-five minute drive to Disneyland. In total, we had five guards with us which seemed somewhat excessive, but then there were three members of Royalty going out for the day, as I reminded myself. Our security team wore suits and they were armed with stun guns I noticed. Two walked in front of us and three behind as we made our way in through the ticket barriers whilst tourists watched us, some probably recognising us but others probably just identifying us as important enough to have security following us around.

We reached Main Street and I gawped as I looked past the crowds, rushing around past Guest Services and the Shops, and up at Cinderella's Castle. Yes, Disney castles weren't classy and classic and it wasn't like the palace I lived in back home. I knew from Googling Lolly and Seb's home after the party that their palace in Oslo didn't look like a castle either. The castle stood tall and proud against the grey sky in its pink, blue and gold glory.

'Sven, please get a photo for us.' Lolly said, passing a security guard her camera phone.

'Of course your highness.' He replied. Lolly stood one side of me and Seb the other and the three of us smiled as he snapped a few pictures with the castle in the background. 'Please do not upload it yet your highness. We want to keep a low profile so you can upload the pictures when we are back in Paris.'

'I don't think we're keeping a particularly low profile currently.' Seb commented and he was right. Tourists weren't just taking photos of the castle. They took pictures of us too, stopping to watch us as we made our way up Main Street.

'What's another photo on the front page of the paper?' I said, wrinkling my nose and Seb chuckled.

'I'm not sure I've ever been in the English paper.' He said, tucking his hands into his pockets.

'I'll send you a picture when you are tomorrow.' I replied with a teasing smile and he smiled back at me. It was nice and laid back and for the first time in weeks, I actually felt relaxed. I was there to enjoy a day with two new friends. The only thing that would have made it better would have been if Zed had been there to join us.

'I'm going to sit this one out.' Lolly said that evening as she adjusted the Minnie Mouse ears that the two of us had bought to wear. I had realised that she wasn't one for heights or rides that were too fast and I wondered if she'd ever been on a rollercoaster or even up the Eiffel Tower like I had the day before.

'Really? I'll hold your hand.' I offered and she gave a small smile.

'I don't do the scary rides. I'll just look after the bags and take pictures as you pass by.'

I looked at the entrance for the Indiana Jones ride and then glanced over at Seb. 'Are you game?'

'Game?' He looked puzzled and I realised it was an unusual English expression that he'd probably never heard before.

'Will you come on the rollercoaster with me?' I asked.

He smiled, a teasing smile. 'Only if you hold my hand.'

I blushed at the thought and I thought of how it felt to hold Zed's hand. How it felt to have his skin touching mine, his lips touching mine... Seb was waiting at the start of the Fastpass line and I walked in with him, three members of security following us and two staying behind with Lolly. We followed the fastpass line, walking over bridges and along wooden decking.

'Are you having a nice day?' Seb asked as I tucked my hands into my pocket to keep them warm.

'Yes, thank you for inviting me.' I replied, shyly. I still kept thinking of the comment I'd made previously and I wondered if he thought I was leading him on. The thought made me feel guilty and nervous.

We were both quiet a moment as we walked and then he spoke again. 'This charity fundraiser you're holding... are tickets available to purchase?'

'Uhm, yes.' I nodded.

'Lolly and I would like to come.' He told me. 'If you just send one of us the details later then I'd like us each to purchase a ticket. It's a good excuse to visit London as we have not done so for a few years... and it's a good excuse to see you again.'

I swallowed, thinking of Zed and wishing it was simple enough just to say I had a boyfriend. But I couldn't do that because Zed and I were a secret. I looked around and realised we'd reached the boarding area, where tourists were busy getting onto the ride. Our automatic gate opened and we climbed into the carriage, sitting down beside each other. The restraints were pulled on tightly over our shoulders and I tensed as the adrenaline kicked in.

The carriage started moving along the track, through the fake ruins of the temple and then it moved upwards and I felt the familiar sensation where you knew there was going to be a drop coming up. I tensed my hand and then I felt a hand on mine as Seb gave me a nervous smile from beside me. I let him hold my hand, knowing that we were both scared of the drop. Friends could do that, right? Hadn't I offered to hold Lolly's hand? We reached the top and I tried to admire the view as we swivelled around and then we quickly dropped, the carriage moving along the rickety track. We shot back up in the air again and I had that feeling where you felt like you had lost your stomach before we shot down again and into the loop. I blinked as my feet were visible by the sky and then I sighed with relief when I could see the ground again.

I didn't realise I had been screaming until we were back off of the ride with the security team and Seb was chuckling to himself. 'I thought Lolly screamed loud on rides but I think you've just beat her.'

I blushed with embarassment. 'Sorry.'

'It's okay.' He nudged me playfully with his shoulder. 'Although I really want to see this picture.'

It made me cringe. Seb was laughing in the photo but I was sure why... my face was screwed up and I was clearly screaming as I clutched onto his hand. It was lucky it wasn't a date because I wouldn't have had a second one. 'Oh god.' I moaned.

'I'm going to buy it.'

I looked at him and realised he was serious. 'Please don't!'

'Why not?' He smirked and I looked at him, mortified.

'I'm not photogenic but that's just _awful._ '

'Actually I think you are quite photogenic.' He said, his face still completely serious. 'But you are right... that isn't your best photo.'

We met Lolly and grabbed some dinner in the quietest restaurant in the park, which also happened to be the most expensive. We shared stories about growing up and about school as we tucked into the expensive food and then we met a few more characters before getting ready for the fireworks. We found a good spot with a lovely view of the castle and I snapped some pictures at the glowing lit up castle as the music started and the spotlights shone into the air. Images of fairydust shone onto the castle and I felt excited like a small child again. I'd missed the magic of Disney as a kid because I'd spent a lot of time being passed around in foster homes. Luckily, I'd been introduced to the world when Sally and Simon had adopted me but that had been a long time after my friends had been and it took a while to catch up.

 _'The second star to the right_

 _Shines in the night for you_

 _To tell you that the dreams you plan_

 _Really can come true.'_

And in that moment, becoming a child again, I felt myself believe that perhaps really dreams did come true.

I didn't upload the pictures until the following morning, when I'd already been tagged in some on Facebook and Instagram by Lolly. My particular favourite was the two of us stood, one each side of Rapunzel and her caption had been:

 _Rapunzel, HRHPrincessSky and I... how many princesses can you see?_

But then I'd also liked the picture Lolly and I had taken with Seb with the castle in the background and that had quickly become reposted by me on Instagram and it became my Facebook picture. I flicked through the photos again as I sat on the jet with Phillip, who was fast asleep, and Queen Roseanna, who was watching with a small smile.

'It sounds like you had a lovely time yesterday.' She said, looking pleased.

'I did.' I nodded.

'I'm glad. I know you were worried about this weekend. It's nice that you have made some new friends and your father is pleased too.'

I looked out of the window and saw the English land coming into view below us as the seatbelt light went on and our air hostess checked that ours were fastened. The plane started to tilt forwards at Phillip's eyes shot opened as he realised we were getting ready for landing.

'Nice snoring.' I told him with a playful look on my face and the Queen laughed softly at my teasing.

'I didn't snore... I never snore.' My brother said with a raised eyebrow.

'Really? Are you too princely?'

'Ha. Ha.' He rolled his eyes but I knew he didn't mind the teasing because he smiled after doing so. 'So what's all this about you and the Prince of Norway?' He held up a copy of the Daily Mail and my eyes widened in horror.

 _A royal day out_

There was a picture someone had taken of Seb and I laughing together, Lolly out of shot. It looked like a date. Then there was a picture of me with Rapunzel and Flynn Rider that a tourist must have taken and sent to the press. I sighed. No privacy anymore. 'Can I have that?' I held out my hand for the paper and my brother passed it over so that I could read it.

 _The Royal family visited Paris for a Benefit this weekend and whilst they were there they had time for some sight-seeing._ Cue picture of Phillip and I up the Eiffel Tower. _Crown Prince of England, Phillip, and newly-discovered Princess Sky were spotted shopping and visiting the tourist landmarks of Paris on Saturday before attending the benefit. The Royal family scrubbed up well for the occasion and Princess Sky was spotted getting cosy with the heir to the Norwegian throne, Prince Sebastien._ Cue picture of Seb and I dancing together and laughing. _If that wasn't enough, the princess was also spotted at Disneyland Paris with Sebastien yesterday, posing for pictures with Disney characters like any tourist would and screaming on rollercoasters. It looks like these two might be a right royal pair._

I groaned as I sat up in my seat as the plane went into landing. Zed was going to be even less enthusiastic than I was. Great. I snapped a picture of the front page and sent it to Seb as promised.

 _Told you you'd make it into an English paper. Front page news! Sorry!- Sky x_

The plane bounced on the runway and I realised my brother was watching me. 'What?'

'I just feel like you're hiding something.'

He had no idea.

Zed didn't come that night, even though I'd sent texts and telepathically told him I was back and I'd asked if he wanted to sneak out. I knew he'd seen the paper or online. It was hard to miss. The gossip sites were all talking about a possible royal romance. It was mortifying and by Seb's lack of text, I guessed he was embarrassed too. I'd not even heard from Lolly. I tossed and turned in my bed and then the light turned on.

'I know you said you didn't want to talk but please do before your rolling around drives me crazy.' Lucy said and I almost smiled at her moodiness. She got grumpy when she was tired.

'Sorry.' I sighed. 'Maybe I should go for a walk.'

'At this hour?' She squinted. 'Ugh, it's 2am. Don't be ridiculous.'

'Sorry.' I apologised again.

'I saw the papers... and the gossip sites.' She said, quietly. I knew she had. It had been in the way she'd looked at me. Almost with disappointment of some kind.

'Nothing happened, we're just friends.'

'I know you are because I know how much you like Zed.' She gave me a small smile. 'It just sucks that the papers have to put that kind of spin on it, huh?'

'You're telling me.' I sighed and my eyes started to tear up. 'Is Zed mad at me?'

'More mad at prince Sebastien I think.' She whispered. 'I bet your father is happy.'

'He probably is.' I frowned. 'Oh, Luce, how did I get in such a mess? There was Marcus who is acting like we're best friends with crazy texts.' Crazy daily texts. 'Then there's Seb, a crown prince who is a great friend to have I'm sure but my father would marry me off to him in a heartbeat.' No doubt about that. 'And then Zed Benedict, the guy I actually want to be with is frowned upon and not allowed to see me because I'm a princess. What is wrong with my life? I want to be Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday and just flee, leaving all of my responsibilities behind.'

'I think I would too.' She said, quietly. 'I'm sorry Sky, I don't know what to say. It sucks.'

A tear rolled down my cheek as I looked up at the ceiling. 'It does.'

Zed managed to avoid me all day and after dinner, when homework had been completed, I couldn't help but feel sad. I missed him and I wanted to see him, but he was clearly annoyed with me. I hadn't even realised I'd recieved two text messages until I glanced at the phone longing for him to contact me as he seemed to be shutting me out of his head.

 _I've read a few of the articles... oops! Well at least the photos are nice!- Seb x_

 _You know, you and my brother make a pretty cute couple. Gutted they cut me out of the pictures though. Should I be offended? We've ordered tickets for your charity benefit! We'll have to meet up when I'm in London! The hotel is booked for the week. Lolly xx_

'Sky?' Lucy's voice caught my attention and I realised she'd stopped playing guitar and she was watching me.

'Mmmm?'

'Go and see him.'

'But he doesn't want to see me.' I said and I sighed sadly.

'So make him see you.' Her tone was sharp. 'He's being an idiot, he should know what the papers are like. They've twisted a good few stories about him over the last month. _Go_. Sneak out and I'll cover for you if your guards come looking.'

I bit my lip and glanced at my friend. She was right. If he wasn't going to come and talk to me then I was definitely going to go and talk to him. Despite wearing my school uniform still, I threw on my coat and black riding boots and I carefully opened the window, climbing out.

'Be careful.' Lucy whispered as I checked that the coast was clear. I crawled across the branch and grasped the trunk tightly before using the branches to help myself down as I'd done many times before. My feet hit the frosty ground and I suddenly remembered how cold it was. Maybe a scarf and gloves might have been a better idea. I tiptoed along in the shadows until I reached Zed's boarding house and I knocked carefully on the window of the room he shared with Nate.

'Sky?' Nate said, surprised, as he carefully opened the window of their room of the ground floor. 'He's not here.'

'Where is he?' I asked as my heart sank in my chest.

'I don't know.' Nate sighed. 'He could be anywhere. All I know is that he took his guitar.'

But where would he play the guitar? The music rooms were closed unless he'd broken in. And yes he'd admitted he'd written some songs in Morzine but that was a plane ride away. 'Okay, thanks.' I gave a small smile and he gave me a sympathetic look before closing the window. I turned, ready to go back to my dorm when I wondered...

It started to rain but I didn't care. I ran across the lit path and then into the darkness, down the grassy green slope towards the lake. I passed where I'd sat with my brother and had my first conversation with him and I hurried towards the wooded area where Zed and I had often hid out. Then I paused and just listened. You could hear the rain, hitting the leaves and the trees, the pitter patter as my hair became damp. Why hadn't I worn a raincoat? Then I heard the beautiful sound of a guitar, a guitar that was playing a song that I recognised.

 _'Lying here with you so close to me,'_ I sang as I walked towards the sound source, ' _it's hard to fight these feelings when it feels so hard to breathe.'_ I saw Zed sat there and he turned in the direction of my voice, freezing.

'What are you doing here, Sky?' His voice was bitter and made my heart ache.

'I needed to see you.' I replied.

'Why?' He frowned.

'Because you're my boyfriend and I missed you.' I wanted to step towards him, to pull him into an embrace, but his body language was stiff and tense, off-putting.

'It looks like you had a great time.' He said as his hurt eyes flicked up to meet mine. 'Why would you need me when you can have a prince?'

'I don't want a prince.' I frowned. 'That's what my father wants but it isn't what I want.'

'And what do you want?' He put down his guitar in frustration.

'You.' My voice was sad and quiet and his eyes softened for a moment before he broke eye contact.

'I hated that those pictures of you dancing and at Disneyland together were everywhere. Everyone was talking about it at school yesterday, saying you were an item. I just wanted to tell them that you and Prince Sebastien weren't a couple because _we_ were Sky. But I couldn't do that, could I?'

'I'm sorry.' It came out as a whisper as my breath caught in my throat and I felt aware of just how cold it was.

'I really wish things were easy Sky but this just seems so incredibly hard. All this sneaking around and what happens if we're caught?'

'I don't care.' I told him.

'But you _should._ He's your _father,_ Sky. That counts for something.'

'I'm just another chess piece in his game.' I said, angrily and Zed's eyes met mine again, sadness filling them and filling my heart too. 'So I had to dance with some guys, some of which were really weird by the way, and yes I made some new friends, but I lost count of how many times I wished you were there with me and the whole time I was dancing I kept wishing I was in your arms.'

He moved without warning, standing and pulling me into him, kissing me with more passion than I'd ever been kissed before. His lips tingled against mine as they moved and his right hand tangled itself in my soaking wet hair as his left hand pressed against my back, pushing me against him. His tongue moved into my mouth against mine and my breathing quickened at the experience, something that had not happened between us before. Then he lifted me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist as he kissed me, pressing my back gently against a tree as the rain fell on us. Eventually, he pulled away and put me down, both of our breathing ragged and my body feeling hot despite being soaked from rainwater.

'We're both going to get sick out here in this.' He said, signalling to the rubbish weather. 'And your school uniform is pretty dirty.'

'I don't care.' I told him. 'It was worth it.' He gave a small smile and pressed his lips to my forehead.

'I'll care if you get ill. Come on, it's getting late.'


	18. When the lights go up in London

'So all set for Saturday?' Clara asked as I joined her in grooming the horses.

'Yep.' I nodded with a nervous smile. It was the Thursday before the benefit and everything seemed to be organised; decor down to fairylights and fairytale trees were ready and being stored in the hall, flowers were ordered, food and drink was ordered and Taylor Swift and Lady Antebellum were booked as was a DJ. Even the donated gifts being auctionned off had arrived and my dress hung ready to wear in my Kensington apartment, now that I was allowed to go between there and the palace every other weekend.

'What time would you like me here tomorrow?' She asked. My plan was to start setting things up Friday evening as school would be finished for our week off, for half-term. The whole class would be performing as a band for our music recital in assembly and then the time was ours.

'You don't have to hang around.' I told her. 'I'd hate to ruin your Friday evening. I probably won't get here til about four.'

'It's okay, I want to help.' She smiled, finishing brushing Chestnut's hair.

'Princess Sky!' Liza's excited voice caught me by surprise and she ran over and hugged me, her curly hair falling to cover her pretty emerald eyes.

'Hello Liza, how are you?' I asked with a smile. My insides buzzed. I had a surprise for Liza, but she didn't know it yet.

'I'm excited about Saturday!' She grinned. 'I just hope I look like a princess like you.'

'Of course you will, you already look the part.' I told her and Cadie, her mum, smiled at me.

'I don't have a pretty enough dress though. Dresses are expensive.' She pouted and folded her arms, making me smile.

'Well actually, I've got a surprise for you.' I said to her, holding out my hand. 'Come with me.' I led her into the hall that was currently working as a storage area. She looked around at the unusual objects, the false trees, the throne, the rose garlands to wind around the furniture, with a curious look on her face.

'What are we doing in here?' She wrinkled her nose as Clara and Cadie followed us into the room.

I grabbed the dress bag and pretty pink box I had stashed out of the way and I carefully hung the hanger up in front of Liza. 'These are for you.' I told her. 'Unzip the bag first.'

She hesitated but then did so carefully, revealing a perfect princess dress for her; it was a light pink colour with straps and a pink sparkly bodice with a big tulle skirt, a trail of delicate cream flowers around the waist. 'Mum! Look! I _can_ be a princess!' She gasped, excitedly, looking at the pretty dress. 'Can I put it on now?!'

'Let's keep it clean for Saturday.' Her mum said with a smile.

'But...' She stuck out her bottom lip.

'Well maybe you can try it on after your bath.'

Liza turned to face me. 'It's so pretty!'

'You need something else though if you're going to be a princess.' I told her and I passed her the pink box carefully. She hurriedly tore open the ribbon and lifted the lid, revealing a silver tiara with diamante stones. She squealed with excitement and pulled it out of the box, putting it on top of her bed of curls. Then, just like a princess, she smiled, her eyes sparkling, and gave us all a royal wave.

'Sky?'

'Yes, Liza?'

'Thank you.'

'You're welcome.' I replied with a smile. 'Do you like Taylor Swift?' I asked her. 'Because she's playing on Saturday.'

'I like her but I like your voice better.' She said, her big eyes looking up at me.

'My voice?' I laughed.

'You're on Youtube. Your voice is pretty like your face.'

Cadie chuckled softly. 'Liza likes watching your performances on Youtube.' The performances that weren't even supposed to be on Youtube. I blushed.

'Are you singing on Saturday?' Liza looked at me, hope in her eyes.

'I don't think so.' I said, softly and she frowned.

'Please Princess Sky. Please sing for me.' Her eyes looked sad and like a little puppy's eyes. It was hard to resist and I felt like I had to give into her, even if it meant sleepless nights worrying about performing. But what were two sleepless nights?

I sighed. 'What would you like me to sing?'

I closed my door quickly when I spotted that Zed was in my bedroom, Lucy obviously having swapped with us so that she could spend some time with Nate. He sat on my bed, his arms tucked behind his head, revealing his biceps as he gave me a sexy smile. If it hadn't been for the adrenaline of getting caught, I would have melted there and then, right on the spot.

 _Surprise._ He said into my head and I quickly shrugged off my coat, boots and bag as he stood up and walked over to me. He wrapped his arms around my waist from behind, pulling my back against his chest. I relaxed as I leaned against him, enjoying his warmth.

 _I like this surprise._ I told him and he placed a kiss on the skin on my neck, which was on show as my hair was tied back. I turned in his arms so that I was facing him and he smiled down at me, his eyes looking into mine.

 _How was voluntary work?_

 _Liza loves her dress and tiara. She's very excited._ I told him in response. _Are you going to be able to make Saturday?_ The band were opening at a concert at the O2 arena but he'd promised they'd drop by after, even if they were a bit late.

 _I'm going to try._ His face turned sad. _I'd rather be with you though... not that we're allowed to dance together._

I sighed, sadly, and he kissed my forehead. We'd have to pretend to be lab partners and only lab partners. I glanced over at Lucy's guitar and remembered that I had promised to sing at the benefit. Cringe. _I don't suppose you know the chords to any Disney songs, do you?_ I asked him and he laughed, pulling me into him.

'Wow, I can't believe it!' Clara gasped as she looked around the Riding Centre hall on Saturday evening. I could hardly believe it was the same place either. The white cloth draped across the ceiling and down the walls, hiding the old and worn decor and transforming the room. Fairylights were twirled around the ceiling, giving the illusion of stars in the sky. Circular tables covered with white tablecloths were surrounded with ribbon-decorated chairs were on one side of the room, false white and silver trees appearing to come out of the tables and reaching up into the sky. A wooden dancefloor had been relaid over the worn wooden flooring by the stage, which too had been given a make-over with a variety of greenery and flowers framing the stage. The backdrop Clara had organised and showed the logo of the Riding Centre and also projected professional photographs we had taken of children enjoying the centre. So far everything had run smoothly and for that, I was thankful.

Nina looked over at me. 'Are you aware of the time? The benefit starts in an hour and a half.'

I cursed inwardly. That wasn't much time to get ready. 'Clara, go and get yourself ready, I'll hold fort.'

'But what about you?'

I turned to Nina. 'Can Wilfred bring everything here? Team, dress, shoes, bag?'

Nina nodded. 'Yes, your highness.' For once I felt thankful for being the princess.

With ten minutes to go, I checked my appearance in the mirror, praying that my team had managed to work their magic in the hall as Taylor and Lady Antebellum's equipment arrived and the red carpet was rolled down outside, the press already turning up. I looked at the ballgown, another expensive dress I now owned; it was a white mermaid-fit dress with light blue embroidered flowers starting from the strapless sweetheart neckline, twirling down the waist and over the bum, wearing thin at the start of the tulle until they completely spread out into the odd strand before stopping by my knees. My hair was down in blonde curls, a delicate flower crown of small white and blue flowers attached to it, tied at the back with a thin ribbon and around my neck I wore a delicate family diamond necklace around my neck and the diamond bracelet from my father on my wrist, adding glamour to my bohemian princess look.

'You look lovely, your highness.' Nina said with a smile and I smiled back at her.

'Thank you, as do you.' Her black dress was simple but elegant and I knew she was thankful I'd invited her to the event. Without another word, Nina scurried off and I knew that it would soon be time to walk outside and greet people as they arrived. It meant that Clara would be arriving shortly too, as we'd greet people together. I asked the DJ to start the music, the orchestra instrumentals of disney songs, and the lights were dimmed, adding to the setting which was somewhat romantic with its fairylights and tealights scattered about. I'd even decorated the hallway, making it look like you were walking under the night sky and across snow on the ground whilst false tealights and flowers lined the path.

'Wow, Clara!' The riding centre owner walked in wearing a strapless black dress with a tulle skirt, her hair in a loose updo and her make-up subtle but lovely. 'You look fantastic.'

She blushed at the compliment from me. 'So do you.' She glanced around at the hall and smiled. 'I can't believe how great this place looks.'

'I know.' I replied, admiring the hard work that had been put in over the past few weeks.

'Guests are starting to arrive, your highness.' Nina told me, returning to the room. 'Are you ready?'

I turned to Clara and she gave a nervous nod. 'Let the party begin.'

We greeted the guests from the red carpet, the guests including wealthy men and business women, MPs, distant royals, a few celebrities and of course, the children who used the riding centre and their families. Guests buzzed as they walked around the transformed hall, some grabbing drinks and socialising, others helping themselves to the food available on the buffet and taking a seat. Clara and I spent the first half an hour answering the press' questions, smiles plastered on our faces as we explained how the centre benefitted others and the future plans for it. Then we moved to the stage to kick off the event, formally greeting everybody.

'Thank you to everyone for coming tonight. Your tickets have already helped to raise money for the Riding Centre.' I said into the microphone and the guests applauded, as did Clara beside me. 'As you already know, the Riding Centre supports and welcomes many children with disabilities and the need for extra support, somewhere to go to so that they can let off steam and enjoy time with the animals. This does require funding and the auction this evening will help to raise further money for that. If you'd like to become a sponsor, there are sign-up sheets available at the information point and you can also make donations there throughout the evening. I'd now like to invite some of the children from the centre up onto the stage.'

The next ten minutes was spent pulling at the heart-strings of the guests, the children and families sharing their own experiences of the centre and how important it was. I'd not even noticed Marcus and Lady Clarence slipping into the room with my father, the Queen and my brother. They all smiled up at me, Phillip and Marcus waving at me and I nodded back as Clara continued to ask the children questions about the riding centre. Liza tugged at my dress and I bent down to her, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

'Are you okay princess Liza?' I asked her as Clara continued to speak.

'Lot's of people are looking.' She said, her face nervous as she looked out at the sea of faces, most of which were unfamiliar to her and to myself.

I reached for her hand and held it in mine, giving it a small squeeze. 'It's okay, I'm right here with you. I'm not going anywhere.'

'When are you going to sing?' It came out louder than expected and a few people in the crowd chuckled, obviously over-hearing the conversation. Clara laughed softly too and I was aware that the other girls and boys on the stage were looking at me.

'Well Princess Sky, I guess you'll be singing in a minute as I'm just about done.' Clara said and the guests laughed again as my heart leaped up, the nerves kicking in. 'Ladies and gentleman, I hope you all have a wonderful evening and to start off the entertainment, please put your hands together for her royal highness, Princess Sky.' The crowd applauded and the children and families made their way off of the stage. Liza hugged me and then she walked over to Cadie, watching me with hopeful eyes. I looked at the white baby grand piano onstage and took a deep breath as I walked over to it, sitting myself down, the spotlight following me.

'I thought it only made sense to follow the theme of princesses so here we go. Liza, this one is for you.' I ran my fingers over the keys, playing the introduction of the song I'd had to rush myself into learning over the last few days. Then I started to sing. ' _A dream is a wish your heart makes_

 _When you're fast asleep_

 _In dreams you will lose your heartache_

 _Whatever you wish for you keep_

 _Have faith in your dreams and someday_

 _Your rainbow will come smiling through_

 _No matter how your heart is grieving_

 _If you keep on believing_

 _the dream that you wish will come true.'_

I opened my eyes to see that the cameras covering the event were on me, facing my way, as were all of the guests. _'A dream is a wish your heart makes_

 _When you're feeling small_

 _Alone in the night you whisper_

 _Thinking no one can hear you at all_

 _You wake with the morning sunlight_

 _To find fortune that is smiling on you_

 _Don't let your heart be filled with sorrow_

 _For all you know tomorrow_

 _The dream that you wish will come true.'_

The song came to an end rather quickly and I felt relieved as the guests applauded and cheered. I looked over at Liza, who was beaming from ear to ear and I smiled at her as I stood up and walked over to the microphone as Lucy walked out onto the stage, guitar secured over her shoulder and in front of her beautiful pink strapless dress, which had butterflies sewn onto the bodice. 'Thank you.' I said to the guests. 'Just one more from me and then I promise I'll hand over to the professionals.' Cue laughter, thank goodness. 'This isn't usually a duet but I thought why not make the most of being friends with the lovely Lucy Collins. I hope you enjoy it.'

Lucy's fingers started to play the chords and I prayed that she wouldn't let her nerves get the better of her, but thankfully, she started to sing. _'There you see her_

 _Sitting there across the way_

 _She don't got a lot to say_

 _But there's something about her_

 _And you don't know why_

 _But you're dying to try_

 _You wanna kiss the girl.'_

Her eyes opened and I gave her a reassuring smile as I took over the singing for a few lines, as we'd rehearsed up until late the previous night. _'Yes, you want her_

 _Look at her, you know you do_

 _It's possible she wants you, too_

 _There is one way to ask her_

 _It don't take a word_

 _Not a single word_

 _Go on and kiss the girl.'_

She visibly relaxed and we sang together, harmonising our voices like we'd organised and the crowd nodded, some quietly singing along with us. _'Sha-la-la-la-la-la_

 _My, oh, my_

 _Look at the boy too shy_

 _He ain't gonna kiss the girl_

 _Sha-la-la-la-la-la_

 _Ain't that sad_

 _Ain't it shame, too bad_

 _You gonna miss the girl.'_

The performance went well and the guests applauded as we curtsied, as best as we could in our dresses, and then I introduced Taylor Swift, who hugged me in greeting, wearing a gorgeous cream-coloured ballgown that almost looked like a wedding dress. She was a perfect princess and looked like she'd walked out of a Disney movie. She went straight into song as I hugged Lucy off of the stage.

'Thanks so much, you were great!' I said to my best friend, gratefully. Nina took her guitar from her, taking it out back so that it was ready to return back to school later that night.

'So were you! Just like Cinderella.' She told me as Liza ran over, hugging me.

'Those songs are my favourite! You were so good!' She said excitedly and I smoothed down her hair, straightening the tiara.

'Thank you princess Liza.' I said, smiling down at her. 'Have you had some food?'

'It's really yummy!' She replied and Cadie laughed from behind her. 'Mum, can we get some more?'

'Of course sweetie.' Cadie took her daughter's hand and they headed off for more supplies.

'Sky!' A Norwegian accent greeted me and pulled me into a huge hug. I laughed as I pulled away from Lolly, who looked like the perfect Scandinavian princess with her hair in a half-updo with curls falling to frame her face. A waterfall braid was wound through her hair and she wore a pearl headband on her head, complimenting the very pale pink dress which was strapless and had ruffles moving down the skirt.

'Lolly, how are you?' I asked my newest friend, pleased to see her.

'I'm wonderful! I've missed England!' She replied. 'And I didn't know you could sing quite like that or play the piano! Seb and I were in awe!'

Her brother looked the perfect Prince charming in a tuxedo, his messy blonde hair pushed off of his face. He greeted me with a kiss on each cheek. 'We were definitely in awe!'

I blushed at the compliment. 'Thank you.'

'More so in awe I think with you dressed like that. You look beautiful as always, your highness.' His voice was quiet and I wasn't sure if anyone else heard, but I realised that Tina was practically swooning a few feet away and Lucy and Zoe were watching the exchange.

'Erm, Lucy, Zoe, Tina, this is his royal highness Prince Sebastien and her royal highness Princess Laura.' I said, formally.

'But please call us Lolly and Seb. Formalities are not needed.' Seb said and he greeted each of my friends with a handshake as they curtsied.

'Where are you staying?' I asked them with curiosity as Lucy passed me a flute of champagne from a passing waitor.

'Kensington-way.' Lolly said with a smile.

'You're near my apartment!' I said, excitedly and I realised my school friends were watching me closely. Were they unsure how to act around three teenagers with royal blood? Or were they concerned about me leaving them because of my new friends? 'Lolly, the girls and I are having a girls night in at my apartment tomorrow, you should come.'

She looked at her brother and he gave her a warm smile. 'Will you feel abandonned, brother?'

'He can always come and keep me company.' Phillip had approached and I'd not even noticed. 'Maybe if you're having a girls night then we can have a lads night. What do you say, Mark?' He turned to my ex, who nodded, his eyes locked on mine. I found myself feeling a little awkward with the situation. There was the prince the papers seemed to think I was dating and then the ex-boyfriend that they knew I had been dating. And at some point or another, my actual secret boyfriend was going to turn up. It was enough to make anyone feel dizzy.

 _'I stay out too late_

 _Got nothing in my brain_

 _That's what people say, mmm-mmm_

 _That's what people say, mmm-mmm.'_

'Oh my god!' Lucy shrieked, grabbing my hand.

'I love this song!' Lolly beamed.

I grabbed both of their hands, realising that perhaps they were going to get along just fine. 'Then let's dance ladies.'

After Taylor's set finished, Phillip led the auction as he had more experience in doing so then I. By this point, a few of the riding centre's members had started to go, as some of them were quite young and it was coming up to their bed time. Liza pouted before saying goodbye to me and leaving, but not before asking me an important question.

'Is Prince Sebastien your prince charming?' She'd asked, her eyes wide as I ducked down to her level.

'I don't think so.' I laughed softly and her eyes looked sad.

'He's very nice.' She told me. Maybe she was a little biased though, as he had spent some time talking to her that evening and he'd even danced for her, a man of the people. 'And he's very handsome.' It was a funny word for a child to use but I simply just smiled at her. 'And I think he likes you a lot.'

'Does he now?' I laughed again and Cadie looked at her watch, checking to see if there taxi was due to arrive.

'Yes, he really does. He keeps looking and you and he told me you're pretty.' He smiled and looked over at Sebastien at the same time as me. He was speaking to Lucy and Lolly at the back of the room, away from where the auction was taking place. A quick skim of the room revealed that Marcus was looking my way too and I quickly returned my attention to the small child in front of me. 'I hope Prince Sebastien dances with you later.' Liza continued. 'He's a good dancer.'

I smiled, having to agree. 'Yes he is.'

'Liza honey, our taxi is outside.' Cadie said, grabbing her jacket from the back of her chair. She grabbed Liza's too and walked over to us.

'I'll see you Thursday.' I said to Liza as she hugged me again.

'Promise?'

'Promise.'

'Well I have to say, you have done quite well for your first event.' My father said as Liza and Cadie headed off home. I stood myself up, carefully, trying not to catch the train of my dress underneath my heeled shoes.

'Thank you.' I said, my voice even.

'It seems you have already raised a lot of money and the guests have been enjoying themselves. Well done.' He nodded and his eyes scanned the room. 'Lord Marcus has been singing your praises all evening. Is a reunion back on the cards?'

I should have known it wasn't going to be long before my love life was going to come up. I groaned, inwardly. 'No, Marcus and I are just friends.'

'Well Prince Sebastien seems pleased to see you.' My father smiled and I resisted an eye-roll. 'He's definitely the people's prince. You could learn a lot from him. Everyone loves him. He's the perfect suitor.'

'Father I-'

'Just consider it, won't you darling?'

The Queen appeared at his side and she kissed me on each cheek, a smile on her face. 'Sky, I can't believe how beautiful you look and this party is just incredible! This hall has had such a wonderful makeover, entertainment is running smoothly and everyone is having a wonderful time. Plus your performance at the beginning was spectacular.' She gushed and I blushed at all of the compliments rolled into one.

'Thank you.' I smiled up at her, my smile now genuine, unlike the smile and seriousness in my voice just moments before hand.

The auction seemed to end and the Disney instrumentals came back on as the crew onstage started setting up for Lady Antebellum, who were chatting to Taylor and Clara by the stage. My insides buzzed with excitement as I looked over at my favourite band, fighting the urge to go and see them and have a fangirl moment. Of course I'd speak to them, but after they'd performed and when I could get my head together. I excused myself from talking to the King and Queen and joined Lucy, Lolly and Seb at the back of the room.

'I've been learning Norwegian!' Lucy announced as I returned.

'You have?' I said, surpressing a laugh.

'Ja.' She beamed. 'Jeg snakker bare litt norsk.' I raised an eyebrow with curiosity and she giggled. 'I only speak a little Norwegian.' She explained.

'She's a fast learner.' Lolly commented. She held out her arm for my best friend. 'Come on, Luce, I'm hungry. Let's get some food.' She winked and they walked off, leaving Seb and I alone.

'My sister isn't good with subtlty.' Seb said, a small smile playing on his lips.

'Not at all.' I agreed. Their attempt at leaving us alone was _very_ obvious. Lady Antebellum started up playing and my insides squealed as they went straight into _Dancin' Away with my Heart._ I smiled and then I saw Marcus looking my way once again. We'd sang the song together and he clearly remembered that. I broke eye contact with him and turned my attention back to Seb.

'Who's the guy who keeps looking at you?' Seb asked, looking intrigued.

'Lord Marcus, my ex boyfriend.' I replied, fiddling with the fabric of my dress.

' _Ex_ -boyfriend? He's hardly stopped looking at you all night.'

'Well we're definitely over.' I wrinkled my nose. 'God only knows why he keeps looking at me.'

'Because he's realising what he's lost, perhaps?' The corners of his mouth reached upwards in a smile.

'I very much doubt it. Cassandra Kingsley is very beautiful and she's a model.'

'Cassandra Kingsley?' He chuckled softly. 'She's not that great. Actually, Lolly and I have said before that she has a face like a horse.' I giggled and he smiled as he held his hand out for me. 'Come on, let's get a drink.'

As Lady Antebellum performed, more and more people moved to the dancefloor and I wasn't sure if that was because they liked the music or had drank too much champagne. Or both. I was starting to wonder where on earth Zed had got to when the introduction to _Beauty and the Beast_ started playing and I smiled.

'It's a real shame we're not in Paris this time, isn't it?' Seb said from beside me, reading my thoughts. I thought of the beautiful ballroom we'd been in, the one that had inspired the film, and I smiled. 'Would you like to dance?'

'Sure.' I replied. Wouldn't hurt. And it might stop my father spying on me and it might stop Marcus staring at me. He took my hand and led me away from the tables, to the dancefloor. His hand was placed on the small of my back and he took my right hand, leading me in a waltz across the dancefloor, smiling as we danced. He twirled me around and I was surprised I didn't stumble. Maybe I was getting used to this dancing stuff.

'Well if he wasn't regretting losing you already, he is now.' Seb said as he twirled me around once again. Sure enough, Marcus was watching, an irritated expression on his face. But the photographers were watching too, snapping away photos as we danced together.

'I have a feeling we're going to make the papers again tomorrow.' I told him and he gave a small smile.

'The problem with us both being royalty, I suppose.' He lifted me up, catching me by surprise, and then placed me down again.

'I can't imagine them having anything negative to say about you though. Whereas me... well don't get me started.'

'They shouldn't have anything negative to say about you. You're a wonderful princess and they are lucky to have you in their monarchy.' He replied. He spun me outwards and then pulled me back into him again with perfect fluency. 'And thery'll love you even more after seeing the photographs and videos from this evening. Those children had a wonderful time, especially Liza.'

'She's adorable, isn't she?' I smiled and he nodded. I thought back to what she had said about Seb and I. 'She asked me if you were my prince charming.'

He laughed, softly. 'And what did you say to her in response?'

Then I saw him. Zed. Stood in the doorway in a grey suit with a black tie. He was watching me, the expression on his face sad and I felt awful for him as Seb twirled me around again. Then I caught my father's eyes and I wondered if he'd seen my exchange with Zed. I wondered if our faces had given us away. I glanced up at Seb and gave a nervous smile. 'I told her that I wasn't worthy of a prince charming.'

In bed that night I couldn't get Zed's sad face out of my head. I'd danced with Seb, my father and my brother, but the only person I'd wanted to dance with really had been him. He'd said hello, politely, as we were Lab partners, but that was all that happened. All that could have happened. He'd spoken to people and hovered around whilst Nate and Lucy danced together and I'd kept myself busy by speaking to the other guests. When I awoke on the Sunday morning, with a knock at the door to signal breakfast being delivered to my room in the palace, I was tired and wishing that I didn't have the girls coming to the apartment for a night in later that evening. I greeted the staff as they brought in some tea and croissants for me and I sat down at the table in my pyjamas, picking up the paper they'd brought in. Once again, I was front page, but luckily I looked glamorous so it wasn't too bad.

 _A perfect princess_ was the headline and I sighed with relief as I read the article.

 _Last night, her Royal Highness Princess Sky held a charity benefit and fundraiser to raise money for Kingston's Riding Centre, a riding centre specialising in providing support and fun for children with disabilities and other specialist needs. The night, with a fairytale theme, was well-attended by the British Royal family, as well as by Royals from Norway, Crown Prince Sebastien and Princess Laura. Award-winning Taylor Swift and Lady Antebellum performed their classics as well as a few Disney classics and Princess Sky got in on the action, opening the benefit with two Disney covers of her own, one of which with best friend and daughter of Martin Collins, Lucy Collins. Who knew the princess was so talented with singing and on the piano? The night included an auction and some very delicious food as well as some beautiful ballgowns and of course there was plenty of dancing! The Princess was seen dancing with her family, her friends and of course, possible boyfriend, Prince Sebastien. A night of fun all around! If you'd like information of how you can donate to the cause, please see our website._

There was a picture of me dancing with my friends and one of me on the piano. Then there were pictures of my family and a picture of me with Taylor Swift and Lady Antebellum. There was even a photograph of Clara and I onstage with all of the girls, me bent down talking to Liza. Then finally, the last photo was of Sebastien lifting me up as we danced together, laughing. Of course. I sighed and put down the paper, grabbing my phone to check it.

 _Front page news again, so it would seem! You know, you and my brother look pretty good together. See you later. Lolly xx_

I rolled my eyes and tucked into my croissant, surprised when Zed's voice entered my mind.

 _Sky?_

 _Hey._ My voice back was soft and guilt consumed me as I thought about the papers that would be displaying my face on them.

 _You look pretty in the pictures from last night._ He said, his voice sounding sad. I sighed.

 _So you've seen the papers._

 _No the Monarchy's Facebook._ My eyes widened. Dad had had the photos published on Facebook without checking me? I opened my laptop and looked at the Facebook page. Sure enough, there were the official photos from the previous night; photos of me stood talking to people and posed photos of me with friends. Photos of the guests performing and myself performing. Then of course photos of Seb and I. Which had hashtags in the captions.

 _#teamskebastian_

 _These two are the cutest! #relationshipgoals_

 _Sorry but I'll still always be #teamskarcus_

I groaned and put my feet up on the chair opposite me, being unladylike. _Ugh I'm sorry._

 _It's not your fault. It's not like people can know we're together. Maybe it's a good thing everyone thinks you're dating Sebastien._ He paused for a moment as my forehead creased. _Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if you did._

My heart sank. _What?_

 _Well people like him and it would be good for both of your countries, surely._

 _Are you seriously suggesting this?_ I frowned, feeling angry.

 _I don't know, maybe. Brian said that us having girlfriends isn't good for our images either._ Brian, their new manager. Of course.

 _Zed, seriously?_

But he didn't reply and I frowned as a tear rolled down my cheek. Zed Benedict sure was good at making me cry and not for the right reasons.

'God you look awful.' Lucy said as she arrived at my apartment that afternoon, first to arrive as always, but only because she'd been shopping on Oxford Street. It was clear from the many bags she carried along with her overnight bag.

'Thanks.' I grumbled, closing the apartment door behind her, the door which was guarded by two members of security now whenever I stayed there.

'What's wrong?' She asked as she carried the bags into my bedroom. She placed them down, tucking them out of the way, and sank onto the bed.

'Nothing.'

'Liar.'

I took a deep breath. 'Zed just said something that bothered me, that's all.'

'Eugh, what did that boy do this time?' She frowned.

'Well he said I should date Seb.' I sighed, pulling my hair into a loose bun. 'And then he said that Brian said that he's not allowed a girlfriend.'

'He told Nate that too.' She said, her eyes sad. 'But Nate's told him that he loves me and that's the end of that.' She reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze. 'He's probably just upset that you have to be a secret.'

'I'm sure you're right.' The doorbell rang and I stood up, wondering who it could be as the others weren't expected for another hour. I walked over to the front door and opened it.

'Your highness, these were just delivered.' Chadwick said, bowing to me as he held out a beautiful bouquet of purple and blue flowers that I couldn't possibly name. I gawped at them and wondered if Zed had sent them as an apology.

'Thank you.' I said to Chadwick.

'Would you like me to put them in a vase for you?'

'It's okay, I can thank you.' I smiled. taking them from him.

'That had better be Zed's apology!' Lucy said, sternly, as she looked at the flowers.

I sat down with the flowers and opened the small envelope, reading the card.

 _Sorry for getting us on the front page again. I hope these put a smile on your face. They reminded me of your eyes of your dress last night. Seb xx_

'Oh boy.' Lucy sighed from beside me. 'Now you have three guys after you. It's like you're a siren or something.'

'Three?'

'Zed, obviously, Marcus and now Seb.' She nudged me with your arm. 'You're obviously a catch.'

'Right.' I scoffed and she rolled her eyes. I looked at the flowers. They were beautiful but was it wrong to accept them. I walked over to the bin in my bedroom and Lucy intervened.

'What are you doing?!' She cried.

'Throwing them away. It's not fair on Zed.'

'Zed is being an idiot right now and Seb is your friend. Accept the flowers, they're only flowers.' She tutted at me. 'Now come on, let's get everything set up for girl's night.'

Girl's night was a success. The tables in the living room had been covered with nail polishes and other pampering bits, as well as food and nibbles. I'd sprinkled around feather boas and microphones for karaoke and I'd dug out all of the best films I could think of for a girl's night in. Everyone came more or less at the right time; Zoe, Tina, Taylor Swift (so awesome!) and then Lolly turned up. They all admired the flowers sat on the windowsill and I nearly had to swat Lolly for the knowing smile she just kept flashing my way. We spent time sat around laughing and talking about boys, like every girl should, and we painted each other's nails, made mocktails and watched _Mean Girls_ before cracking out the karaoke. It soon got late and Taylor took off before a ring of the doorbell signalled that Lolly too would be going.

'Well that'll be Seb.' She pouted. 'I wish I was staying over with you girls.'

'We'll definitely have a sleepover soon.' I promised.

'You'll have to come and stay in Norway with me!' She grinned. 'We could go and see the Fjords. You like Frozen, right?'

'Of course.' I chuckled and she beamed back at me as I opened the door.

'I'll just get my coat.' She winked and Seb rolled his eyes at his sister.

'Thank you for the flowers.' I said to him, shyly.

'You're welcome.' He said with a smile.

'Was my brother nice?' I asked, signalling to the door next door.

'Yes but I think your ex wants my head on a platter. He got a bit angry when I did better than him on Call of Duty.' His lips twitched in the corners. 'I'm sure it wasn't just about Call of Duty though.' I blushed and glanced down, not sure what to say. 'What are you doing tomorrow?'

'Nothing that I know of.' I replied. But I did have plans originally to sneak out and see Zed the day after; Valentine's Day.

'Could we go for lunch?' He asked and the guilty feeling returned to my stomach. 'Just as friends.' He added and I wasn't sure if that was for my benefit or for his own.

My eyes flicked back up to his and I was aware that Lolly was hovering behind us, probably earwigging as sisters do. 'Okay.' I nodded.

'Great.' He relaxed a little. 'I'll pick you up at one?'

'Sure.' I nodded.

'So a date with the prince tomorrow, huh? Lucky thing!' Tina beamed as we got ready for bed that evening. I flicked through the photos we'd taken and uploaded them to Facebook to distract myself from the guilt in my stomach.

Lucy's eyes met mine. 'You've had a hard time, you deserve this.' And I knew that was her way of telling me that it was okay, her own way of saying that Zed somehow deserved it.

I didn't want to dress up for lunch, but the girls had reminded me that the press would probably be there, ready to snap photos of me and they'd be delighted to see I was spending time with Prince Sebastien. I opted for a simple black skater dress with tights, ballet pumps and my warm coat, adding a scarf and gloves to keep me cosy in the cool February air. The girls headed off just before Seb arrived and he greeted me with a kiss on each cheek before we walked downstairs, one of each of our security teams following us.

'So where to?' I asked with a smile as we reached the car and climbed inside.

'I hope you don't mind but today I quite fancied being a tourist.' He replied, placing his hands on his lap.

'That's fine.' I smiled, looking out of the window as we pulled out of the gate. 'What's Lolly doing today?'

'She has a few friends in London from previous visits so they're going to afternoon tea together.' He replied.

'That's nice.' I replied. My hands felt clammy and I subtly wiped them on my dress, glad it was dark.

The car passed by the palace and I watched the tourists outside as they snapped photographs of the changing of the guards. I glanced back at Seb to see he was watching me, an unreadable expression on his face.

'Is it weird?' He asked. 'Looking at that palace that you probably used to think nothing of and now thinking that it's your home.'

I nodded. 'It still doesn't feel like home.'

His smile was sad. 'I sometimes think that instead of a palace, I'd love to have my own little cottage in the fjords to raise my family in with a wife at my side. It would be a lot simpler, wouldn't it?'

'I know the feeling.' I sighed. 'I feel like these days my whole future has already been decided and I don't get to make the choices I want to.'

'Will you go to university?' He asked.

'I'd like to. Did you?'

He shook his head. 'There's no time for any extra studying. I passed school but now it's learning the trade ready for when father abdicates and lets me have the crown. There's just _so_ much to learn. How it's possible for one to have a wife and a family whilst being King, I really don't know.'

This time it was my turn to give him a sad smile. 'I don't know how Phil is going to cope, but then I don't think father will be abdicating anytime soon.' The car stopped and I glanced up to see the London Eye at the end of the path in front of us. 'So this is what you meant by being a tourist?'

He smiled. 'When you come to Oslo, then you can be a tourist. Today it's my turn.'

We had a pod on the London Eye to ourselves and we were each greeted with a glass of champagne, which I took out of politeness, even though I wasn't really sure I wanted some. Security were waiting on the ground for us, as there was no other way to give us privacy, and I relaxed a little at the idea of having some time without being followed by someone who was starting to almost become my shadow.

'Truffle?' Seb held up a truffle as the door closed and the pod moved away from the docking station.

'Truffles and champagne?' I giggled. 'Early Valentines present?'

'I didn't request it.' He held his hands up, a smile on his face. 'But maybe that's what happens when you just book a pod for two. I guess it probably is quite romantic up here, especially at sunset.'

'I thought we were going for lunch?' I said with a lopsided smile as I walked over to the glass wall, looking out at London as it got smaller in front of me. I spotted St Paul's Cathedral and it reminded me of when Marcus and I had gone for our grand dinner with a beautiful view of the city.

'After this.' He said, appearing beside me. 'It's supposed to rain later so I thought we'd come here first before the visibility is bad.' He looked out at the city, moving his head as he scanned it. 'Is it weird thinking that all of this belongs to you and your family?'

'I guess I've never thought of it that way before.' I cocked my head to the side as I looked out and I realised he was right. It did belong to my family. They signed the laws, they ruled the land alongside the government. One day Phillip was going to be doing all of that. 'What's Norway like?'

'It's beautiful.' He smiled at the mention of his home land. 'I like it best when it's winter because of the snow and then there's the Northern lights. There's no words to describe how wonderful the aurora borealis is to watch.'

'I've always wanted to see them.' I said in response. They looked so beautiful in photos and just simply magical. Like something out of a fairytale. One of the wonders of the world for sure.

'Well maybe one day you can.' His hand moved so that his little finger was touching mine. The smallest touch but enough to make me nervous. Hadn't he said we were here as friends? I suddenly wished that Zed had been in contact. It felt like the issue with Marcus all over again.

'What is your favourite thing about Norway?' I asked, wanting to feel relaxed again. His hand didn't move, it just sat against mine.

'I don't think there's something I could simply pick out. I love the language and the people, I love the fjords, the scenery, the aurora borealis, the history...' He paused. 'We have the midnight sun too, which is pretty cool, and polar bears.'

'I love polar bears!'

'Another reason for you to visit, although we'd have to travel to see those.' He gave me a lopsided smile as I turned around, leaning against the metal bars. He pulled his camera out and snapped some pictures of London and then one of me.

'Hey!' I groaned, shielding my face.

'What?' He smiled, playfully.

'That must have been an _awful_ picture.'

'You looked thoughtful.' He said.

'Hideous more like.' I wrinkled up my nose and he turned to face me, his eyes soft and gentle.

'Du er vakker.' He said and I cocked my head to the side, not having a clue what on earth that meant. I wanted to ask, but then he distracted himself by grabbing a chocolate and moving to the other side of the glass, putting some distance between us. I wondered what the distance meant too.

We were greeted by our security guards when we got out of the pod at the bottom and Seb and I walked side by side, hands in our pockets as we walked along the Thames. A few tourists glanced our way and Seb smiled at them, nodding, whilst I just glanced down at the floor wishing I was back to being invisible again. I'd never get used to that.

Then a sound like thunder filled the air and we were thrown to the ground as the ground shook from impact. I winced as I hit my head and people around us screamed as smoke filled the air. Another bang and another explosion made the ground shake and I heard an awful cracking noise. Was it a building? The London Eye?

'Sky, are you okay?' I heard Seb's voice in the smoke and I tried to get up.

'No, stay down.' He held me down in place as the ground trembled beneath us. 'Nikolai, er du ok? Nikolai, kan du høre meg?' He spoke in Norwegian and I recognised his guard's voice but there was no response.

'Ciara?!' I called out, panicking for my own guard. I squinted in the smoke, trying to work out where she was but I couldn't see her. Was she hurt? Then I heard gunfire.

'Ah, dritt.' Seb said and I knew it was a curse word. 'Sky, can you stand, we have to get out of here?'

'What about Ciara and Nikolai?' I said as he pulled me to my feet. My vision felt dizzy.

He didn't say anything about their condition. Instead, he held my hand tightly. 'Don't let go, okay? We have to run.' I let him pull me along but it wasn't easy running when people were running in different directions through smoke. Some of the wall along the Thames had crumbled from the explosion and it was hard trying to see where the edge was. People were on the floor screaming and the blood was making me feel sick. People were hurt. I wobbled, my heart hurting and Seb stopped, holding me upright. 'Sky, can you see me?' I nodded mutely. I could see him but he was a little blurred. I spotted blood on his head too and realised that we both probably had concussion. 'We need to find safety.' He said and I nodded again, wincing as my vision continued to blur in front of me. He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and pressed it to my head, trying to stop the bleeding.

'What about your head?' I said, trying to ignore the sting.

'My head will be fine.' He shrugged it off but I frowned, still worrying.

'I'm slowing you down, you should go.' I told him and his forehead crinkled.

'Love, I'm not going anywhere.'

'Your royal highnesses.' A unfamiliar voice said from in the smoke near us. I tensed. I had a bad feeling about the voice and I knew Seb did too from his tensing.

'She needs a doctor.' Seb said, his voice calm but the stiffness of his body suggesting otherwise.

'I can help with that.'

And then everything went black.


	19. I can make an explosion

When I opened my eyes and realised I didn't recognise my surroundings. I wondered at first if I was in a hospital, because of the white walls, but then I realised that the mattress I lay on was on the floor. I sat up in panic, looking at the strong door in front of me and realising that I was in a prison cell or something very similar at least. I shrieked, a loud shriek that made me wince. Boy did my head hurt.

'Sky! It's okay.' Seb was right beside me and he reached out, placing a hand softly on my shoulder.

I turned to face him. 'Where are we?'

'I don't know.' He replied, sadly. 'But I wish I did.'

I looked at him in his crumpled clothes and there was a little blood on his shirt. He'd hurt his head. I glanced up to look at it and frowned. His forehead didn't have a single mark on it. I reached out to touch his hair, pushing it back. Not a single cut. 'But you hurt your head...' He looked down, awkwardly, as the lightbulb came on in my wounded head. 'No.' I whispered as I looked at him. 'It's impossible.' He still didn't say anything. 'Do you heal like super-fast?' His eyes flicked up to meet mine and answered my question. 'You're a savant.' I whispered and his eyes widened.

'How do you know that word?' He asked, warily.

'Because I'm one too.' I replied. 'And so is my father.'

'And your brother?'

'I don't know.' I said, honestly.

'I've not met a savant outside of my family.' He said, looking surprised. 'What can you do?'

'Nothing useful.' I reached up to touch my head but winced when I touched a dressing that was covering the headwound I had. I realised my tights were ripped and knew that my blonde hair had probably been streaked with blood. Ick. 'I can see people's moods... like an aura around them.' I explained. I looked at him again and saw the deep blue aura that I'd come to recognise as worry. 'Like you're worried right now.'

'I think we both are.' He glanced towards the door.

'How did we get here?'

'I don't know, you fainted and I caught you and then somehow I did too...' He frowned, rubbing his forehead as if willing his brain to remember. 'I woke up and we were here and your head had been fixed up.' He signalled to the door. 'I've tried to get out but it's completely locked and I've not heard anything on the other side since waking up.'

And then, just like someone had been listening to our conversation, the door opened. Seb moved in front of me, protectively, and I wondered if he'd do the same if his body didn't heal itself quickly. The man who was stood there was dressed in black trousers, black boots and a black shirt that reminded me of something Bash on Reign would wear. He looked at us with eyes so dark you could hardly see the pupils and he folded his tattooed arm across his chest.

'Who are you and where are we?' Seb demanded to know, his voice fierce and a lot braver than mine would have been.

'I can't tell you that.' The man replied with a thick accent that I didn't recognise.

'When our fathers find out that we're missing-'

'They already know, your highness.' His bow was mocking and made my blood boil. Seb clenched his firsts at his side and I reached out, touching his back in a hope that it might relax him. We didn't know who these people were and what they were capable of. 'The boss wants to see you.'

'And who is this boss exactly?' Seb's voice was bitter.

'You'll find out soon enough. Now come on, you both clearly need to wash and get changed.' He walked over to me and grabbed me but Seb tried to block his path. 'I hardly think the princess wants you to wash her showering.'

'Nor does she want you to.' He narrowed his eyes and the man rolled his eyes at him.

'I think she's perfectly capable showering without a chaperone.'

I was led to a bathroom, where a woman dressed in a white blouse, black corset and black skirt was stood completely still. Only her eyes flickered over mine, taking in my appearance and it made me shudder. With its white walls and cold tiled floors, the place was creepy and I didn't like it at all. I longed for my room at Sally and Simon's or my dorm room or even my apartment in Kensington. Anywhere that felt warm and cosy, unlike this place. 'You have ten minutes.' The woman said, speaking suddenly with a European accent. I looked at her, hoping there wasn't fear on my face. 'There's clean clothes in there.' I walked into the bathroom, which was cold, dark and dingy. A small light flickered over head and there was a small mirror. I saw the dressing on my head and sure enough, blood soaked my blonde hair. On the back of the door, which sadly didn't lock, a cream dress was hung, one with a tight corset-style tie-back bodice and small cap sleeves. It had a cream attached underskirt which fell out underneath in ruffles. It was pretty, but it wasn't me. A pair of black boots sat underneath, pushed against the wall out of the way and some fresh underwear was folded away on the shelf.

The shower water was cold over my skin and I shivered as it touched me. I washed the blood from my hair with the shampoo, trying to avoid getting my dressing wet, and I washed my skin with the shower gel that smelt like oranges. I showered as quickly as I could to escape form the icy water. I smothered myself in the towel as I turned of the water, but I was disappointed that it was threadbare and not warm and cosy, despite the fact that it was from the radiator. My body had goosebumps across it and I quickly dressed myself, the dress falling halfway down my calves. It was a summer dress, not a winter dress, and as I tightened the ribbons that made my cleavage look ample and my waist look tiny, I couldn't help but shake with cold. I slipped on the socks and black boots, thankful that at least my feet would be warm.

 _Sky?_

Zed's voice took me by surprise and made my heart jump. _Zed?_

 _Oh thank god you're okay!_ He sounded relieved but his voice was still pained. _Where are you?_

 _I don't know._ I glanced at the tiles and spotted some dirt and mold on them. I wrinkled my nose. _But I just want to go home._ Tears brimmed in my eyes as I looked at my reflection. Where was I? Who were these people? Were they the people who had shot at me in Morzine? I looked at my tired eyes filled with sadness. Would this have happened if I'd not found out the truth about being a princess? I could have been walking along the bay in Cornwall, sand in my toes, chasing the tide.

 _It's all over the news._

 _Were they bomb attacks? Did people die?_

 _Yes._ My heart sank further. _Sally and Simon are fine though and Lucy, Zoe and Tina._

 _Lolly?_ My eyes widened.

 _She's with Sebastien's father. Is he with you? Was he with you?_

 _Yes and yes._

He was quiet for a moment before he spoke again. _I'm glad you're not alone._

My head throbbed and I winced as a trickle of blood came out of my nose. It hadn't happened since I'd first spoken to Zed. _Zed my head... my nose..._

 _You must be far away._ His voice was sad. _I'll let you go, I don't want to hurt you... but if you find out where you are then_ please _just try to talk to me. We're doing everything we can to find you._

A knock on the door interrupted and I knew I couldn't hide forever. I quickly towel-dried my hair, leaving it in messy curls and I opened the door. The woman from before was still stood there, expressionless. 'Master is waiting for you.' She said cooly. She reached up to the dressing on my head, removing it, and I winced as she pressed a damp cloth against it, obviously clearing up any blood or puss. Then she led me up the corridor.

Seb was already seated at the table in the room I was taken to, looking rigid but cleaner in a white shirt and brown trousers, brown boots on his feet like he'd walked out of some Medieval programme or even a Disney film. He looked a little relieved when he saw me and I went to sat down beside him feeling dizzy and sick. I looked around us at the shabby wooden floor and worn wooden walls, the large stone fireplace that should have been on because it was cold. The furniture too was grand but worn and I knew the room probably had looked wonderful in its time. Now everything was dusty and antique-looking and the room smelt musty.

'Well it's good to see you both conscious.' A voice boomed as a man with a clear-as-day English accent walked into the room. I recognised his voice and my hairs stood on end. He'd been there in London. I was able to see him better now. He wasn't an ugly looking man, but in his trousers that were leathery with his black boots and coat that looked like a royal heirloom, he gave me the creeps. With his dark hair and short moustache he reminded me of Captain Hook. Only dressed more like Killian in _Once Upon a Time._ I must have shrank in my seat because Seb reached out for my hand and held it gently in his, letting me know that he was there, sat beside me.

'Where are we?' Seb tried again but the man laughed.

'I won't be telling you that, your highness.' He turned to face Seb. 'I'm sad you're here. You weren't part of the plan but you just wouldn't let go of her. It's touching really, that you can care so much for someone who once meant so little to our small country.'

He was one of the people who had probably signed the petition against me being a princess. He disliked me and possibly the monarchy too. It was in the way he looked at me and it made me want to cry. I swallowed and Seb spoke up.

'How _dare_ you!' He hissed. 'She is the princess and when we are found you _will_ be punished not just by England but by Norway. Treason. You'll get a life sentence for this.'

'Not a problem because they won't find us.' He replied, care free. 'Such a waste, I'm sure you would have made a wonderful king, your highness. The people's prince, isn't it?'

'Let him go.' I found my voice and looked across the table at our captor. 'You said Prince Sebastien wasn't part of the plan so let him go. Do whatever you want with me but let him go back to his homeland.'

'I'm afraid I can't really do that. Not now that he knows what I look like.' He cracked his knuckles and I winced. 'I'm afraid you're both here for the long-run.'

'What do you want with me?' I whispered.

'For your stupid family to learn a lesson. England does not need a _bastard_ second in line to the throne.' I winced as he spoke. 'The original laws stated that children who were the King's bastard children were not allowed a title and so it should stay that way.'

'I don't want to be Queen and I'm not going to. The crown will go to my brother.' I replied, sitting up straighter. I didn't want him to think me weak.

'Unless your brother is not able to have children of course.' The man continued. 'I still don't see why a country needs a monarchy when there are plenty of others capable of ruling.'

'Royal families are symbols of national unity and sources of pride.' Seb said from beside me. 'It is part of your country's history as it is part of mine.'

'Ah yes, history. It's a shame how things have to change, isn't it? I still believe that people should be hung for crime and that women should not have such rights as they do today. But Monarchies? They'll have died out by the next century.' He paced as he spoke and he paused by the fireplace. 'Sky, you are here to make a point. Your father will decide whether to remove your title or have you killed.' I froze.

'Surely that's not going to solve anything. It will make your monarchy hate you and you will be forever hunted.' Seb tried reasoning and I knew that this was part of his training to be King. He came across as a calm and collected negotiator when my insides were crumbling.

'Then what do you suggest?' He raised an eyebrow at my friend. Seb hesitated and the man gave a wicked smile. 'Let me know when you have a solution to that one, your highness.' His bow was mocking again and the aura around Seb was clearer than a perfect night sky; anger.

A woman walked in wearing a dress with a corset detailing, something that looked right for a peasant in a medieval documentary. She carried a tray with bread, butter and two bowls of soup. In silence, they were placed in front of Seb and I and then with a nod to her master, she left the room again.

'Eat up.' Our captor said, his smile wicked. 'We have a long drive ahead of us.'

I had no idea where we were or where we were going because we wore black fabric sacks over our heads until we were in the back of a locked van filled with boxes. If anyone was to check the van, they wouldn't see us because we were sat behind them on a worn mattress on the floor with just a blanket to keep us warm. A tiny high up window was propped open slightly, leading to the front of the van and allowing some ventilation and letting us listen in to the music and the radio. BBC Radio 1 was on, but that didn't mean we were in England. The news started as we drove along and Seb glanced at the small window, listening in.

' _Our top story tonight. Her royal highness princess Sky has been kidnapped after the bombings in London that killed eighty-six people and left almost one hundred others in hospital.'_ There was a pause. ' _His majesty is asking for anyone with information about the whereabouts of princess Sky and the crown prince of Norway, Prince Sebastien to come forward. Security teams and MI5 are working together to find out any information they can after the pair were caught in the blast in London yesterday.'_

I hadn't realised I was crying until Seb moved to sit next to me, placing an arm around my shoulder. I didn't hesistate. I moved into him and he pulled up the blanket we had, obviously feeling how cold my bare arms were. 'Although I hoped I might be lucky enough to spend Valentines Day with you this year, I hadn't planned it like this.' He whispered as a tear rolled down my cheek. Of course. It was Valentines Day. I hadn't had any plans, no, but it would have been nice to have spent it with Zed. But then anything was better than spending it in the back of a van on an uncomfortable mattress in an unknown location.

 _'You're like perfection, some kind of holiday_

 _You've got me thinking, that we can run away_

 _You want I'll take you there_

 _You tell me when and where_

 _Oooooh oh oh.'_

Zed's voice came out of the speaker and the driver tutted, changing the radio channel to something classic. I laughed and Seb relaxed at the sound. 'What?' He said, a small smile on his lips.

'I just know the band that sing that song.' I replied. 'That's all.'

We were in the car for over twenty-four hours, that was for sure, but we just kept on driving, only stopping for food, which would be passed into the back of the van for us. We were allowed to go to the toilet when stopping and the odd service station in the middle of nowhere, but we were escorted to the door and no one was ever around. If anyone was around, we headed off elsewhere and it was tough; you just couldn't go to the toilet yet. I spent a fair amount of time sleeping, because what else was there to do? We could listen to the radio or Seb and I would speak to each other or just listen to any sounds that would help identify our location. But that was it. At some point, I was sure we'd even boarded a ferry or two but it was difficult to tell.

When we arrived at our new location, I felt groggy as we left the van, finding ourselves in some underground carriage filled with boxes that held goodness knows what. It was dark and dingy, but the armed 'bouncers' were enough to make me walk alongside Sebastien through the darkness. We reached a door and went through it, walking up stone stairs and into the light. I squinted at the early morning sunlight and I looked around at the surroundings. We definitely weren't in England. The air was mild, not cold, and we appeared to be sat on top of a cliff as water seemed to be below us and stretching out onto the horizon. There was no sign of land other than the grass and rubble we walked on. There was a tower about two storeys high at the end of the headland and then the grey stone buildings seemed to just be built into the cliff-face, hidden between luscious green trees. Seb looked around, as if trying to decipher where we were, looking for any information that would give us a clue as we were pushed into the main building. We walked along a stone corridor with large cut out windows over-looking the view, cushions on the wall acting like window seats. There was a chess set we passed and then we passed a dining table with ten chairs around it. Then we passed through an open landing area that had corridors disappearing off into different directions.

'Ah, you made it!' Our captor appeared in front of us and clapped his hands. 'If circumstances were different then you could have flown in like I did. How awful for you.' I looked around at the bare walls that Sally and Simon would have loved to decorate. 'It's a lovely villa, isn't it?' He smiled and then it quickly disappeared when he realised we weren't as happy about the situation as he was. I held my hands behind my back, aware they were shaking and not wanting to show any signs of weakness.

'Where are we?' Seb tried again.

'In paradise.' Our captor replied with a smile.

The woman that had previously guarded my bathroom door appeared. 'The rooms are ready, Ezra.'

'Thank you Lenka.' He replied, his face serious. Ezra?

'Rooms?' Seb folded his arms across his chest.

'I was hardly going to put you in the dungeon when you're just along for the ride, Prince Sebastien.' He chuckled. 'Although I'm afraid that your accommodation isn't quite as cosy, Sky.'

'She stays with me.' Seb's voice was firm and this side of him surprised me. I'd spent the last twenty seven hours or so curled up against him in the back of a van as he held me, protecting me.

'I'm afraid that's not what I had in mind.' Ezra replied, his voice smooth and his face serious as his eyes pierced into me.

'Sky is not to leave my side unless you want me to become a difficult hostage of course. I'd say I've held back quite well so far.'

'Then we can kill you.' He signalled to his security. 'It's as simple as that.'

'You don't want us dead.' Seb said, not blinking. 'Otherwise you would have done so already. We're far more valuable alive.' He stared at Ezra. 'But it appears your fancy villa is at the top of a cliff so it would be easy to just jump off... or go ahead, kill me like you said, but I don't think you want us dead, do you?'

Ezra didn't say anything for a moment. He just looked at the Prince of Norway, clearly not knowing what to say. Then he glared before speaking. 'Guards, Lenka, take Prince Sebastien and Sky to their room.'

The room was spacious and light and if it had been under a different circumstance, I probably would have admired the tiled polished yellow floors and light yellow painted walls reaching up to the high ceiling. There were two windows over-looking the sea, shutters opened to let in the morning light. By one window was a table and cushionned benches and by the other was a dresser. There was a double bed with a blue duvet in the middle of the room and a bookshelf in the corner which stood next to an open door leading to a yellow bathroom that looked pretty out-dated, but it did have a bath and white towels that looked clean and fluffy.

The bedroom door closed and locked behind us and I flinched, before looking at Seb, a frown on my face. 'And what exactly would have just happened if he'd decided to kill you there and then?!' I snapped.

'He wasn't going to.' Seb said calmly, walking over to the window and looking outside. 'If we're dead, this is all over and he loses.'

'And how did you get to that conclusion?' I folded my arms across my chest.

'My father and the security have spoken to me about terrorists before and quite often terrorists don't want to kill you as then their mission is worthless and they gain nothing.' He turned to face me, folding his arms across his chest, mirroring me. 'If you and I die, what will Ezra gain?' He nodded when I didn't say anything. 'Exactly. He wants your title taken away, right? He wants to make a deal with your father. Well if you're dead then he can't make a deal with your father and he won't get what he wants.'

He was right. I uncrossed my arms and let them fall at my side as I looked over at the prince. 'Thank you.'

'Thank you?'

'For wanting to stick by me.' I explained. 'I think you're the only reason I'm coping right now.'

He gave me a small smile. 'It's good to have some company.'

I walked over to join him by the window and I looked out at the crystal blue sea in view. 'Where do you think we are?'

'It's hard to tell.' He sighed beside me. 'We must still be in Europe because of the time we've been travelling and we definitely were on a ferry at some point.' He looked thoughtful. 'And the climate is warmer, so perhaps somewhere in South Europe? It could be Spain, it could be Italy, Croatia perhaps... unless we've travelled down to the North of Africa but then I don't think they'd be so much vegetation.' He frowned, frustrated. 'Unfortunately, this world is an awfully big place.'

I couldn't sleep that night when the air cooled off and the sun went down after we'd eaten dinner in the prison that was our room. I'd showered and changed into the nightgown left out for me, a light blue strappy dress with cream lace around the waist and fell at the knees. Then I'd sank onto the bed and tried to sleep, whilst Seb read a vintage book by Shakespeare.

'Can't sleep?' He asked suddenly, glancing up at me in surprise that I was still awake. I had no idea what time it was, but the sun had set long ago.

I sat up in frustration, after rolling around, tossing and turning. 'No.'

'Doubt thou the stars are fire, doubt that the sun doth move, doubt truth to be a liar, but never doubt I love.'

'Hamlet?' I gave him a small smile, recognising the quote from English Literature the previous year.

He nodded. 'A man of many words.'

'Many words I don't understand.' I wrinkled my nose.

He smiled. 'If it were today, it simply would say "You may wonder if the stars are fire, you may wonder if the sun moves across the sky. You may wonder if the truth is a liar, but never wonder if I love."' He closed the book and walked over to the bed, standing by it. 'May I?'

'It's supposed to be _your_ bed.' I laughed.

'But I am a gentleman.' His eyes crinkled at the edges as he smiled.

'Then sit, dear gentleman.' I teased and he sat down on the bed beside me. 'Why did Shakespeare always write about love?'

'Because love is a truly special thing.' He paused for a moment. 'Have you not ever been in love?'

I shook my head. 'Nope. In fact, that's why Lord Marcus and I broke up. He was angry I didn't yet feel the same.' My eyebrows furrowed. 'But you can't control who you love and don't love, right?'

'Right.' He nodded and closed his eyes as he rested his head against the wall above the bed.

'Have you ever been in love, Seb?'

'Once.' His eyes remained close. 'At least I think it was love. My father thought it was a crush though, perhaps it was. But Martina and I were not meant to be and now she's married.' His eyes opened and he watched my expression. 'Married at twenty, I know, but if you've found _the one_ then why wait?'

'I guess you're right.' I slid my legs under the duvet, trying to keep them warm. 'What do you think tomorrow will bring?' I bit my lip with nervousness and I looked down at my lap.

'Who knows.' He said, his voice sad. ' But yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery and today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.' I gave him a small smile and laid down in the bed. 'I'll leave you to sleep.'

'Seb, is it too much to ask you to stay with me?' My voice was small, afraid, my barriers breaking down.

He laid down beside me, wrapping an arm around my waist as he whispered, 'not at all.'

We were woken by a knocking on the door the following morning and I jumped, Seb's arms tightening around me almost as a reflex. I opened my eyes and saw that my head was resting on his shirt-covered chest, his arms holding me there, keeping me safe from harm. He released me and we both sat up, looking at the door. He stood up, protectively and stepped in front of me as the door was unlocked.

'Breakfast is ready with the master out on the terrace.' Lenka said, stood in the same blouse, corset and skirt combo as she always seemed to wear. I was starting to wonder if it was part of her uniform. 'Get dressed quickly.'

I changed in the bathroom into some of the clothing that had been made available for me to use; clean underwear, that was a little too frilly for my liking, and a cream knee-length dress with a corset ribbon-tie bust, laced neckline with straps and a lace-trim ruffled skirt. My hair hung loose in curls and I slipped on a pair of cream ballet pumps, wondering how on earth they knew my size. I opened the bathroom door and stepped out to see Seb wearing stone-coloured chinos and a white shirt that was rolled up at the sleeves. He looked handsome as always, the white of the shirt contrasting with his slightly tanned skin. I fiddled with the hem of my dress and took a deep breath, wondering what was coming, but with a relaxed look on his face, Seb gave me a small smile and held out his hand. 'Are you ready?'

I could have sworn I held my breath the whole walk down the long corridor to the terrace which stood on the edge of the cliff-face, only a wall there to stop us from plummeting onto the rocks below. We took our seats in front of croissants, jams, cheeses, fruits and other pastries and it took everything I had to stop myself from tucking in straight away when juice was poured by a girl around my age in the same outfit as Lenka. My stomach growled in annoyance, reminding me that the meals I'd been having whilst in captivity weren't enough to satisfy my hunger. Ezra walked out into the sunshine, wearing black trousers and a black Medieval-style shirt, boots on despite the warm morning air, but I was starting to wonder if he was a robot without any feelings or emotions.

'Good morning.' He said to us cheerily and I just glared at him from cross the table. Ezra's aura was a calm shade of yellow, whereas Seb's was red with anger once again. 'Did you sleep well?' He asked, but we didn't give him the satisfaction of an answer. 'Please do tuck in.'

He didn't need to tell me twice. I silenced myself by eating croissants and fruit, desperate to fill my tummy incase the portions were cut back again for lunch and dinner. At this rate, I knew I'd be thinner than Savannah when I got home. _If_ I got home. My eyes burned and I bit my tongue, trying not to let the emotion flicker across my face.

'So when are you going to speak to the King of England?' Seb asked after he swallowed a strawberry. He sat up straight with good posture, almost looking down at Ezra, and it was clear that he was going to make a good king one day.

'I'm giving him time to miss his daughter, time for him to worry.' Ezra replied, coldly, his eyes piercing mine. I didn't give him the satisfaction of looking away. My eyes bore into his. 'Why? Did you come up with an alternative plan for me, your highness?' Seb looked down in disappointment, all power lost and I wanted to hug him and tell him it would be okay, comfort him how he had comforted me that night. But I couldn't say it was going to be okay, could I? 'Eugh, for two royals you're awfully dull.' Ezra said, looking bored.

'What do you expect? You're holding us hostage and keeping us shut up in a room.' I said and then I instantly regretted it. Would I be punished? Would he hurt me? He wanted me alive but not necessarily uninjured.

'You're right, things are a little dull around here.' He clicked his fingers and Lenka and two guards walked over to us. 'Lenka, we're going to have a party tonight. All staff are invited of course and are to wear their best outfits. Get the musicians ready too and I believe the prince and Sky will need outfits to wear.' He turned to his guards. 'They can spend the rest of their day on the terrace or in the courtyard so that they are not bored. There's books and chess and cards around to keep them entertained until we get ready for this evening.' His eyes flicked to us. 'I believe today might be quite fun after all.'


	20. This is my fight song

'And what exactly are you doing to find my daughter? She went missing _four_ days ago! How can you not have found _anything_ already!' The King's words were bitter as he paced his office. Queen Roseanna sat on the sofa, teary-eyed beside the Norwegian Queen, Elena, whilst the King of Norway, Aleksander, stared out of the window, wondering what else they could do to find his son, the future King of Norway and the English princess, who his son seemed awfully fond of. Since meeting Princess Sky in Paris, he'd spoken fondly of her and King Aleksander had been pleased that his son had showed interest in a beautiful, young and talented girl, one who seemed quite pleasant and would make a good Queen of Norway should they ever marry. It also had the power to make Norway and England's relationship stronger.

'Your majesty, we have sent out extra officers and investigators.' Victor Benedict said, his nervousness clear to everyone in the room. 'The difficulty is, they may have even left Europe by now and even if they haven't, they seem to have disappeared without a trace.'

'Impossible!' King Edward's voice was angry and his face reflected this.

'There must be something you have missed.' King Aleksander said, now turning to face Victor Benedict and his colleague, Anna Kowalski. 'Someone _must_ have seen something.'

'Eye witnesses in the area are traumatised, your majestys.' Victor replied. 'Lots of them still don't remember exactly what happened and seeing as the security were killed in the explosions...'

'Someone must have known they would be at the London Eye. They would have been followed unless someone in the palace leaked the information.' King Edward's forehead creased. 'Send out another press announcement. We need more information from _anyone_ who can help across the whole of Europe and maybe even the rest of the world. Check airport security cameras and ferry port cameras again. For _every_ city, _every_ port, do you hear me?'

'And increase the reward.' King Aleksander added. 'I want our children found alive and well and completely unharmed.'

 _ **Sky.**_

I looked up from the book I was reading, sat on a cushion on a wall over-looking the ocean and realised Seb was looking at me. 'What?'

'Nothing.' He gave a small smile and looked out at the view, a thoughtful look on his face.

I tilted my head to the right and looked at him again. 'Seb?'

'Yes?' His blue eyes flicked back to mine and he stretched out his legs in front of him on the window seat, his feet either side of mine.

'Thank you again for taking care of me.' I replied with a small smile, ignoring the guards who were watching our every move. 'It means a lot.'

'You're welcome.' He looked back at the sketchpad in his lap that he'd found in our room and continued sketching.

'What are you drawing?' I asked out of interest. I placed the copy of _Tess of the D'Urbervilles_ down beside me.

'It's not finished yet so you'll have to wait.' His smile had a hint of cheekiness and it made me relax a little, although it was not quite enough to forget the situation we were in.

'What do you think they have instore for us this evening?' I swirled the water around in my glass and then sipped it, frowning at the warmth of it from being in the sunshine.

Seb's smile faded and his mouth formed a straight line as his forehead creased. 'I don't know.'

I rested my head against the pillar I was leaning against and I sighed, looking out at the water, where a few birds bobbed along in the sunshine. I wondered if there were colourful fish in the water. I wondered where in Europe we were and if there was anyone else living nearby. I wondered who else knew we were here. I closed my eyes and tried to picture school and I tried to picture the palace. I thought of Angel and the joy I felt when I rode her. I thought of my apartment and the fun night I'd had with the girls just under a week before hand. I thought of Zed and how it felt to kiss him. How he'd looked at me at the ball. Then my father's head came into my mind, as if punishing me for thinking about Zed Benedict, the Romeo to my Juliet.

'What do you think our families are doing right now?' I asked Seb, opening my eyes.

He chewed on the end of the pencil he was holding and then twirled the pencil around between two fingers as he spoke again. 'I'd imagine my father is with yours and I'd imagine they've had very little sleep because they're busy trying to find out where we are.' He paused for a moment. 'I know you don't get on with your father but I know that he loves you and wants the best for you. You are his daughter, after all.'

The sticky, warm air made me feel sweaty and I had just finished washing when I was pulled away by Lenka to the room that was originally for me. Seb had tried to keep me safe, but the guards had intervened and I'd been taken anyway. It was mortifying and horrifying. What were they going to do with me? Yet, they didn't harm me. Lenka and two other women dressed in medieval-style evening gowns removed my dress, despite my insistance that I was perfectly capable of doing so, and they changed me into a sky blue dress in a medieval style, with a corset top embroidered with silver detailing along the top where a little cleavage showed, a full skirt and slightly off-shoulder sleeves with the same embroidered detailing around the wrist. It was pretty, but just knowing that it came from Ezra gave me the creeps. My hair was put up, a few curls falling and framing my face and they applied some make-up. As I looked at myself in the mirror, I found it somewhat ironic that Ezra was interested in the Middle Ages even though he wanted to abolish the monarchy.

When I arrived, accompanied by the ladies and guards, in the dining hall, a long table was laid out with many chairs and food set out in the middle, the wine already in flow. People spoke in English, but many had accents from all over Europe, masking where we actually were. A few heads turned as I walked in with the women and they greeted people with kisses on the cheeks, whereas I just sank into the chair opposite Seb and next to Ezra who was, of course, head of the table. Seb looked like he was from a fairytale with with brown trousers tucked into boots, a cream blouse and a brown jacket embroidered with gold detailing by the button holes. He gave me a small smile from across the table as wine was poured into my glass. Did I want to drink? I wasn't sure. On one hand it surely would get me through the evening but on the other, perhaps it was better to stay sober and alert.

The three-course dinner tasted dull to me and I didn't eat plenty as I had done at breakfast. My appetite had gone now that the sun was starting to set and the nerves of what lay ahead that night. I had a few mouthfuls of dessert and then left my spoon in the bowl of the half-eaten tiramisu. The bowls were collected by some girls and boys who looked a few years younger than me and then Ezra clapped his hands together. 'Welcome to our little gathering! Thank you all for coming, it's nice to have a party once in a while, especially when a plan falls into place.' I cringed and Seb frowned across from me. 'Now if you'll all join me in the reception room we'll have some music and dancing.' He walked out followed by guests and Seb and I lagged behind.

'You look lovely as always.' He said softly as I flattened down my dress and tried to get over just how tight the ribbons on my dress were tied at the back. How on earth had women worn corsets under these things too and still managed to breathe and keep their boobs? I felt like I was being squeezed across the chest. We followed the guests out of the room and into a reception room which was just about big enough for guests and a few chairs. An small orchestra was set up in the corner and I recognised the tune of _Take me to Church_ being played on the violin and cello.

'I hope you're planning on dancing.' Ezra said, appearing in front of us as a few couples took to dancing in the space cleared for a dancefloor. Seb stiffened beside me at the closeness between myself and the captor.

'Of course.' Seb replied with a curt nod.

'May I?' He held out his hand to me and I swallowed, nervously. 'Let me rephrase that; dance with me.' It wasn't like when Zed told me to dance. This was controlling and wicked and even his voice was enough to make me shudder. He pulled me into a space and Seb frowned as Ezra's hand was on my waist and he started to dance with me, stepping in time to the music, but stumbling every so often. He wasn't a good dancer, that much was clear. I hadn't been once, but all the practise with nobles and royals and even Zed had made me a much better dancer. The song changed to _Teardrops on my guitar_ as the strings continued and the dancing slowed. 'You're quite the dancer.' He commented, his piercing eyes flicking to look at mine.

I didn't break eye contact as I spoke, expressionless. 'Apparently princesses are expected to dance.'

'So I've heard.'

'Just so you know,' his foot caught on mine and he tried to hide the frown as I spoke. 'I didn't want any of this. If I had it my way, I'd still be in Cornwall enjoying a quiet and simple life with my adoptive mother and father. I didn't want to be a princess and it's not like I had a choice.'

'There's always a choice.' His words were fierce and I tensed more than I already was as we danced and I tried to keep my distance between our bodies. 'You know, you're a lot prettier than I imagined.' I broke eye contact and sucked in a deep breath. Seb stood watching us, his arms folded and a concerned expression on his face that he seemed to be trying to hide. 'If you were not a princess, I feel that perhaps we could have been friends or more.' My stomach churned at the thought of the latter and he released me, clapping his hands together. 'Sky will now be treating us to a performance herself as she is so musically talented.' My heart lurched as the pretty sound of the strings cut out and eyes flicked towards me. Ezra's face was stern. 'Well?'

I cautiously walked over to the old piano and sat myself down on the stool, my hands shaking as I lifted the lid. What was I going to sing? The dancers were looking at me and Seb gave me a small, reassuring smile. Then it hit me. I ran my fingers over the keys and closed my eyes as I started to sing a song that was taking a risk. _'Like a small boat_

 _On the ocean_

 _Sending big waves_

 _Into motion_

 _Like how a single word_

 _Can make a heart open_

 _I might only have one match_

 _But I can make an explosion_

 _And all those things I didn't say_

 _Wrecking balls inside my brain_

 _I will scream them loud tonight_

 _Can you hear my voice this time?_

 _This is my fight song_

 _Take back my life song_

 _Prove I'm alright song_

 _My power's turned on_

 _Starting right now I'll be strong_

 _I'll play my fight song_

 _And I don't really care if nobody else believes_

 _'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me.'_

My fingers started to hit the keys with more force as I sang, the emotion seeping out of me and floating away through the air in the notes I played and sang. When I finished, I opened my eyes and saw Seb giving me a lopsided smile. Everyone else seemed to be frozen as they looked at Ezra, waiting for his reaction.

'Somewhat ironic considering your current situation, _your highness._ ' His voice was mocking and a few people laughed, making my blood boil. He was an ass, a psycho. He clapped his hands together. 'Let's get back to some good music.' It was a childish insult but I didn't let him show that he had bothered me. Instead, I stood and walked over to Seb.

'Well I thought you were wonderful.' He told me quietly as a woman hurried past us carrying a glass of wine. 'And I thought the song was a good choice.'

'I want him to know that we're not going down without a fight.' I replied and he gave a small smile.

'You do say you hate being a princess but I wish you could see what a wonderful one you are.' He replied. He held out his hand as _Stay with me_ started to be played by the string orchestra. 'Shall we?'

I nodded and I let him lead me to the floor. I smiled at the old-fashionned dancing we started with, walking with our hands almost touching as we walked in a circle to the right and then back round the opposite way. Then he caught my hand by surprise and twirled me around as the chorus started. I looked at the prince in front of me, the one who was going to make an excellent King one day, and I couldn't help but feel overwhelming grateful that out of the many people I could be being held captive with, I was him. He was becoming my saviour, my safety, my best friend.

'Essi non sono a sapere che siamo in Italia . Essa deve rimanere segreto.' Seb and I froze at the voices round the corner in the hallway as we made our way back to our room that evening. He held his finger to his lips, making sure I kept quiet and we both leaned against the wall in silence, listening.

'È per questo che stiamo parlando inglese?'

'Yes, now we must speak in English before we are overheard.' The woman's voice was stern and I recognised it as Lenka's.

Seb reached for my hand and held it carefully, pulling me away from the wall and up the corridor. We passed Lenka, who looked shifty as we passed, and a guard that regularly stood outside of the doorway. We stepped into the room and closed the door behind us, hearing the sound of the key in the lock.

'Italian.' Seb whispered, pacing the room.

'I got that.' I whispered back. 'We're in Italy aren't we?'

'My Italian isn't great but I'd say yes, yes we are.' He walked over to the window and looked out, but the scene was dark, other than the moon's reflection on the water. 'It would explain the climate and it would explain the trees and shrubbery. I did wonder if that was an olive tree by the terrace.' He turned to face me. 'How do you feel about learning Norwegian?'

'Norwegian?' My eyebrows shot up. 'I've never been great at languages but shouldn't we be learning Italian?'

'We need to be able to communicate without them understanding us.' He ran a hand through his blonde hair. 'And as for not being great at languages, you never had me as a teacher.'

I smiled at the cheeky comment. 'So what's the plan?'

'Hvordan har du det?' Seb said the following day from our spot out on the terrace, overlooking the water. I'd telepathically told Zed that morning that we were somewhere in Italy but I had no idea if he'd got the message as they'd been no response. And it had given me a dreadful headache. I rubbed my forehead and looked over at Seb, realising he was waiting for a response. Hadn't he asked how I was?

'Fine.' I replied, pulling back my hair off of my hot neck.

'I norsk.' He scolded. _In Norwegian._

'Bra takk?' I questionned, tilting my head to the side.

'Very good.' He smiled, looking pleased. 'How is your head?' I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding, relieved that we were back to English. Norwegian was nothing like French or any language we'd ever been taught at school. The sounds were so different and so were the words. It was so damn hard.

'It's okay.' I said, rubbing it. 'I think it might just be the heat.' I sipped at my glass of water and he gave a concerned expression.

'We should go back to the room.' He swung his legs off of the ledge and turned towards the shaded part of the terrace.

'No it's fine.' I replied.

'No, we should go back.' He glanced over at the guards and then back at me and I understood his meaning; so we could discuss things in private. I nodded and stood up, following him.

xx-xx-xx

 _ **England.**_

'What do you mean you've _had news_ that she's in Italy? News from where?' King Edward's face was like thunder as he spoke to Victor Benedict in his office. He'd been taken away from the lunch he was having with King Aleksander and the two Queens.

Victor shifted uncomfortably, unsure whether admitting about Zed's telepathy with Sky would get his brother in trouble. 'There was an anonymous call.' He lied. 'We have traced it back to France.' Another lie. 'But they were sure that the princess and prince are in Italy.'

'Italy?' Prince Phillip walked in unannounced. His sister's disappearance had caused him many sleepless nights and he looked weary, his eyes red from tiredness. 'Then father we must go immediately.'

'Your highness, it is far too dangerous. We don't know what these people are capable of. Let us do our job.' Victor replied and the King frowned.

'Let you do your job? And that's what exactly?! My daughter has nearly been missing a _whole week!_ You're not doing your job, that's the bloody problem!' The King growled and Victor struggled to stay stood tall.

'We've sent teams all over Italy and we will find them.' Victor replied, feeling too sure of himself.

'Italy is a big country.' The prince's face was glum. 'And there's islands too.'

'Well then I guess we're just going to need more men.'

 _ **Sky.**_

I looked out of the window and at the drop below. I swallowed. 'You can't be serious?' I whispered to Seb. He wanted us to leave overnight, climbing out of the window. Except our window was right above a large cliff, which fell down into the sea.

'It's dangerous, I know.' He sighed. 'But I think it's our only choice. Here is the only place they aren't watching us.'

'What if we fall?' I swallowed, looking at the rocks below. Sure there was a ledge half-way down and some bits of cliff were bumpy, but if you fell you wouldn't survive thanks to the jagged rocks in the water.

'I'm not going to let anything happen to you.' Seb replied, his voice soft. I climbed into the bed in my nightgown and he sank down beside me. 'We'll give it a few days. Maybe another opportunity will come up.'

But somehow I think we both knew that wasn't going to happen.

I was woken up in the night by what sounded like a gunshot and I flinched, my breath fast and my heart hammering against my chest. Seb pulled me into him and I rested my head on his bare chest as tear filled my eyes.

'I want to go home.' I whispered and he ran a hand through my hair in a soothing motion.

'I know, me too.'

Three more days passed, three more days of learning Norwegian and exploring the grounds whilst escorted by guards, trying to work out a way out, a way to freedom. We walked through gardens in the sunshine, the freckles starting to come out on my face. We sat on the terrace playing chess and reading. We gritted teeth whilst dining with Ezra, his hatred for the monarchy never straying far from conversation.

On our eighth day of captivity, we found ourselves enjoying the sunshine sat by a grand fountain in a courtyard surrounded by greenery and high walls. I glanced over at Seb and realised that once again, he was sketching. 'What's that over there?' He looked up and I pulled the sketchbook out of his hands with a giggle.

'Hey!' He said, his cheeks flushing red.

'What?' I smiled, standing up on the edge of the fountain. I looked at the flower he had been sketching with such beauty and precision. If it had been colour, it would have also looked as if you could pull it out of the page and hold it in your hand. I flicked through a few more pictures; the view from our room, an olive tree, and then there was a sketch of me, sat reading a book on the window-seat on the terrace. My jaw dropped. It was almost a photograph and I almost looked pretty. I looked up at Seb and he reached forward, trying to grab the sketchbook from me. But then the book went flying into the air towards a security guard and we both ended up in the fountain, completely soaked. I squealed at the cold water and Seb laughed from his seated position beside me.

'Completely your fault.' He said with a chuckle, running his hand through his wet hair.

My cream dress was see-through as I stood up, folding my arms across my chest. You could see the blue underwear I'd worn underneath. Cringe. Seb stood up beside me, still laughing and a small smile played on my lips, the laughter almost contagious.

'Master Ezra wants to see you both on the terrace immediately.' A security guard I didn't recognise appeared and his voice was firm.

'Immediately?' I blinked and blushed at my soaking wet appearance, my see-through dress.

'Immediately.'

We followed him to the terrace, shoes squelching as we walked. The smell of lunch was in the air and so was the sweet smell of the flowers we passed. Ezra was already waiting for us, stood and seeming to be admiring the view. He turned to face us as we approached, his arms across his chest just like mine were and just like Seb's were.

'Fancied a swim, did we?' Ezra said with his smooth, English accent. He eye-balled me and I resisted a shudder at the smile creeping across his mouth.

'May we go and get changed?' Seb asked from beside me.

'No.' He signalled to the chairs. 'Sit.' We both sat down, cautiously. 'I have decided to change the plan.' Seb's body stiffened and despite being soaking wet, I felt warm as my breath caught in my throat. Ezra looked at me. 'You and I are going to get married.'

'Surely you can't be serious?' I choked on the air, my fingernails digging into the palms of my hands.

'But of course.' He smiled, a smile that made me feel sick. 'If we are married then I become a prince and I have some power. And then of course, if your father _and_ brother die, you're next in line to the throne, are you not?'

He wanted to kill my father and brother? My heart sank. 'You wouldn't.'

He adjusted his jacket, revealing a gun tucked into its holster and I swallowed. 'I think you might underestimate me.' I didn't say anything, I just stared at the gun as he continued. 'Enjoy your last night together. Tomorrow Sky and I will be married and we will be sharing a room together so that we can start a family.'

'No!' I cried out, my eyes filling with tears and my teeth gritted.

'You can't force the princess to marry you.' Seb said, visciously.

'I can.' Ezra pulled out his gun and aimed it at Seb. I froze. 'It appears I no longer have any need for you, your highness.'

'No!' I cried out again, clutching onto Seb's arm.

'Pull the trigger.' Seb dared him and I sucked in a breath as I stared at him in horror.

'I'll marry you!' I said as a tear escaped. 'For god's sake I'll marry you.'

'Good.' Ezra smiled. 'You're free to go. Dinner will be brought to your room this evening.'

The tears poured out of my eyes when we were back at the room, behind the safety of a closed door. I sobbed, not caring that I was soaking wet and not caring that my dress was still see-through. I curled up by the window, wanting nothing more than to be back in Cornwall with Sally and Simon, in our tiny two bedroom cottage by the sea. Seb reached out and stroked my damp hair gently, his voice just above a whisper. 'We need to leave. Tonight.'


	21. Take back my life

I didn't eat that evening. Instead, I watched as the sun went down and the stars came out into the sky, acting as guides to us, lighting the way to what I hoped was freedom. As the villa became quiet, it was clear night had set in. A noise outside the door signalled the guards changing shift and it meant it was nearly time.

'Ferdig?' Seb asked in a whisper. It meant _ready_ and for the next half an hour or so, we were going to be speaking Norwegian, incase anybody happened to be listening to our conversation.

I tied the shoelaces of the black boots, knowing they were the shows with the best grip. I wore them with a sundress with a corset tied top and a hooded cloak I had found deep inside the wardrobe. Seb too had a cloak and it was as if we were in some weird, messed-up fairytale adventure movie. I looked at the prince and nodded, my stomach in knots and words unable to leave my mouth as my heart raced. This was it. Freedom or death. And if they caught us, the latter was more than likely. He stood by the window we'd left open as he turned off the lights, leaving the room almost in darkness. I looked up at the full moon, shimmering over the water and giving us just the little light we would have. Seb went first; out of the window and down the cliff-face, hanging on tightly as he stepped carefully. I climbed after him, slowly, in contrast with my racing heart and quick breath. I stepped once and then twice, retracing the steps that Seb had taken. I followed him down the cliff-face, descending it carefully. My foot slipped and I gasped, trying not to scream...

Seb pushed my foot into a gap in the rocks, supporting it. I leaned against the cliff, feeling faint with nerves. I needed to get down from here. The sooner the better. It was terrifying.

'Du er ok.' Seb whispered. _You're okay._ I didn't reply. Instead I continued to follow him down the cliff-face slowly. We reached the ledge about half-way down and stopped for a few minutes, allowing me to catch my breath. I looked up at the building hung on the headland and released a deep breath. I'd done it. So far. Seb stood up and I knew we had to keep going. We had to get as far as we could before daytime. We had to put as much distance between us and them as we could. We continued down the cliff-face and, before long, we'd reached the rocks at the bottom. Waves splashed against them, dampening both of us, but we moved along them quickly, jumping from rock to rock, as close to the bottom of the cliff as we could. We rounded the headland, coming across some sand and I let out a sigh of relief as Seb helped me onto it. My feet sank into the sand and then we moved into a sprint, running as fast as we could, incase they checked our room for whatever reason and found out we weren't there. We continued across the sand and I spotted a few houses coming into view as the cliffs got lower and lower, sloping downwards towards the bay. Then Seb stopped in front of me and I realised what he was looking at.

'Is that-' I started to whisper.

'Mount Vesuvius.' He replied. The volcano. The one which had destroyed Pompeii. A cloud rose above it and you could see small splashes of orange out of the top. I didn't panic though. I knew from Geography classes that it often sent clouds of ashes across nearby cities and it often spurted lava. Seb looked around, squinting. 'I think we're on an island. We caught a ferry across, didn't we?'

I nodded as the pieces started to slot together in my head. I glanced at the headland across from us, to the left of Mount Vesuvius. Lights lit the headland, the tourist town. 'We're on Capri.' I whispered.

'Are you sure?'

I nodded. 'That's Sorrento.' I pointed at the headland. 'There must be a boat somewhere to get us there.'

'Then let's keep going.' He took my hand and we picked up pace, continuing to run along the coastline in the direction of Sorrento and the famous volcano.

 _We're on Capri._ I said and winced at my aching head as I did so. I hoped Zed was paying attention. _Capri is where we are being held hostage. We're going to try to get to Sorrento._ I wiped the blood from under my nose before Seb could notice and I kept sprinting as fast as my short legs could carry me.

About an hour later, after we'd moved inland to walk alongside a road, dipping into the trees everytime a car passed, and we found ourselves following the sloped road towards a marina. The area was lit now and it made me panic; had they realised we were gone and come here looking for us? It was the only way off of the island afterall. We cut down alleyways, hiding from cars that passed, as a few people stumbled into a hotel nearby, music pouring out of it despite the lateness. We pulled the hoods of our cloaks up and Seb took my hand, leading me down towards the marina, the smell of fish strong in the air. Eventually, we found ourselves looking at covered yachts, some clearly expensive, and we searched the docks looking for something that would soon be leaving, something we could escape on.

'Oh, dritt.' Seb swore in his own language and I looked across at him, from where we hid behind a boat.

'What?' I asked in a whisper.

'The ferries don't start until 6am.' He replied. He looked over at the horizon. 'That must be a good few hours away.'

'We can't wait that long.'

'I know.' He sighed. A plane flew overhead and I looked up, almost hoping that it was someone looking for us. Wishful thinking. He squeezed my hand as his eyes scanned the area for another option. They focussed on something across the port and he turned to me. 'How do you feel about cargo?' He pulled me towards the large cargo ship, where workers were busy filling it with boxes and crates, most of which seemed empty. It was obviously how the one hotel, the villagers and the restaurants got their stock from the mainland. The crates were thrown onto the boat and a few men spoke in Italian as they loaded it.

'How are we going to get on unnoticed?' I asked Seb in a whisper from where we hid watching the loading.

'I'm not sure.'

A car down slammed nearby and I froze, ducking further behind the boat we were using as a shield. 'They must be here, where else could they have gone?'

Shit. My heart sank. Were they going to find us? And what were they going to do when they did? Seb tried to look calm but his eyes said otherwise. He reached for my hand, pulling me into him as the guards that worked for Ezra passed us, questionning a few workers in the port. Seb pulled me towards the cargo ship and we paused to duck behind boats as we did so. I moved willingly, although my body just wanted to freeze in panic. Then, Seb had us round the back of the cargo ship and he jumped on up, before pulling me up. He found the lifeboats, covered with plastic covering, and he pulled me inside one with him.

'Check the boat. They leave in ten and I'd bet they're on it.' Ezra's voice. I winced as Seb held me to him, trying to reassure me as he gently stroked my hair. We heard footsteps outside of the lifeboat and I held my breath as they moved past. But they didn't check the boat. I heard crates being open and questions being asked in Italian as the engine of the boat started up. Then the footsteps passed us again before a large bang, the sound of a crate being put down beside the lifeboat, sounded out.

'Andiamo! Andiamo! Let's go!' Someone with an Italian accent called out and I relaxed. We were going.

The journey to Sorrento must have taken about thirty minutes and Seb and I laid there quietly, listening to the sounds of the boat and the workers talking on our journey. The boat juttered to a stop and the engine turned off, signalling our arrival, and footsteps once again sounded by our boat. Seb, in the darkness, held up a hand to show we were going to wait for a bit. And we did. Almost an hour had passed by the time it was quiet again and the tiredness was starting to kick in, as was the hunger. Seb moved first, checking our surroundings before pulling me out of the lifeboat and lifting me down onto the deck. Despite being heavy-footed in our boots, we tried our best to move quietly across the boat deck, until we were able to slide off and onto the deck, hiding behind cargo as we made our way across the port and onto the main land.

'Where are we going?' I asked Seb as we reached the town of Sorrento, which looked beautiful even in the middle of the night.

'We need to find somewhere with a phone and somewhere to rest.' He said, pausing and looking around. We walked along the cobbled street, past a few rushing people, and up some steps, onto the cliff that housed some buildings. A few cars passed by, whizzing down the winding hillside road as we walked, our identities concealed under the cloaks that should have stopped being worn about one hundred years ago. 'We need a police station.' Seb whispered, holding my hand tightly in his. Then he paused when we found ourselves outside a beautiful lit building with arches and flowers and shrubbery wound around it. He squinted at the sign and smiled. 'It's a monastery.' He squeezed my hand. 'Come on, they'll help us.' He walked up to the door and knocked it carefully, taking down his hood so that his face was once again recognisable.

A man appeared in the doorway, a monk. 'Ciao. Posso aiutarti?'

My italian wasn't great and I gave a puzzled look to Seb.

Then I heard a gunshot and Seb pushed me aside, shielding my small body. They'd found us. Another gunshot. And then someone called out, 'I've found them!'

'Entrare, entrare!' The monk pulled us inside, closing the heavy door behind him and locking it securely. 'You were shot.' He looked at Seb and I winced when I saw the blood seeping from his shoulder, soaking his shirt under his cloak.

'Oh, Seb!' Tears brimmed in my eyes as my heart hammered.

'Come with me.' The monk said. 'They cannot enter a holy place. It is forbidden.' We followed him up the corridor and I held Seb, guilt filling my stomach. He led us to an infirmary, where another monk seated Seb on a cot bed and tore open his shirt, cleaning the wound straight away.

'Why were they after you?' The original monk asked.

Seb winced at the sting of the cut. 'You must help us, kind sir. We need a phone. You may not recognise us, but I am Prince Sebastien, heir to the Norwegian throne, and this is Princess Sky of England.'

The monk gave us each the once over and then moved to the desk in the corner of the room. He picked it up and scanned the front page. Seb and I were on the front, a picture of us laughing at the ball and the headline read; _Prince and Princess Kidnapped in bomb blast._ His eyes moved back to us and it was clear he was checking us against the picture. Then he gave a small smile. 'You're safe now, your highnesses.'

'Your highness, I'm going to have to remove the bullet. It's not too far under the skin, I can see it.' The monk, who was clearly a doctor, said from beside Seb. He visibly tensed and so did I. But then we both knew that the bullet needed removing before his skin healed, which wouldn't be long with his ability.

'Please go ahead.' Seb said, his voice pained. 'And then we need to get hold of the palace.'

I couldn't watch as the bullet was removed and Seb's sharp breaths told me it was painful. The cloths also showed me that there was a lot of blood too and it made my stomach churn. The monks moved around, wrapping his shoulder in a bandage after stitching Seb up and only then did I turn to look at him, his wound hidden beneath a dressing and bandage.

'Do you know the number for the palace?' Seb asked me and I shook my head, frowning. It was something worth knowing, something that would have been useful. 'It's okay.' He said, sensing my embarassment. 'We'll call Oslo.' The monks led us to an office where there was a phone and Seb and I sank onto a comfy, old sofa, where he dialled a number after thanking the monks for their kindness. After a few moments, someone must have answered because he started to speak. 'Hallo? Dette er Prince Sebastien . Ja , jeg er i live og vel som er Princess Sky . Vi er i Sorrento i fransiskanerkloster. Væpnede menn var utenfor. Vennligst send noen så snart som mulig . Greit. Greit. Ja takk.' He turned to face me, a smile on his face. 'There are security and police already in Italy not far from here. They'll be with us soon.'

They arrived about an hour later, when I was dosing against Seb's unwounded shoulder in the infirmary. Unfortunately, the noise that told us they were here was the sound of gunshots. Seb and I sat nervously, our bodies stiff as we heard the gunshots outside and then the sirens of police, who the monks had called. I hoped and prayed that no one was injured, that mine or Seb's men, whoever's men they were, were able to get us out of there safely. A knock on the door made us all wary, but the monk that had allowed us in, allowed us into their place of safety, answered the door anyway. And, thankfully, when he returned, officers in Norwegian uniforms walked in, guns in their hands, but relieved looks on their faces.

The five men bowed and greeted us. 'Prince Sebastien , din høyhet . Det er godt å se deg.' One said with a smile. 'And Princess Sky, an honor to be of service.' I reached up to touch my hair, touching the stitches on my forehead by accident and frowning at the still-present sting. They caught sight of Sebastien's torn shirt and bandage. 'Your highness, you are injured. Are you well enough to travel?'

'Of course, Alarik. Now please kindly get us out of here.' Prince Sebastien was back, his voice commanding and his face serious. He turned back to the monks who had taken us in. 'Thank you so much for your kindness.'

'It is the right thing to do.' The monk nodded. 'Peace be with you.'

The guards led us both towards the back of the monastery, and we kept as close to them as possible, from the safety of the middle of the formation they walked in, their guys ready to be fired if need be. Seb held his shoulder, supporting it, although I wondered how long it would be before it would be fine again. Outside a helicopter waited for us and we all filed inside and as soon as we were in the air, I fell asleep.

When I woke up, we were on a small plane, one that was clearly private. I was sat in a comfy leather chair, Seb beside me and my head resting on his shoulder. I sat up and looked around; there were six other chairs beside ours and a large royal crest on the wall of the plane that I did not recognise. Seb's eyes opened beside me and he looked down at me, sat in a fresh shirt, jeans and polished brown leather shoes. 'Did you sleep okay?' He asked, his voice full of sleep.

I nodded. 'Is this your plane?'

He nodded back at me. 'Yes, welcome aboard the Crown Prince's jet.' He rolled his eyes and I smiled.

'Many girls would love to be on this I'm sure.'

'Perhaps, but I'm glad it's you.' He whispered. 'There's some of Lolly's clothes in the bedroom out of the back if you'd like to get changed into something more comfortable. We'll be landing in Oslo in about twenty minutes.'

My eyes widened. 'Oslo?'

'Our families will be waiting there.' He gave a small smile and I unbuckled my seatbelt, standing up. My legs shook a little and I realised it was the adrenaline that had been in my body, sat there for about a week perhaps. In the bedroom at the back of the plane, the bedroom with the royal crest marked on the sheets, I quickly washed myself in the bathroom and then slipped into a pair of jeans and a warm fairisle jumper that must have been Lolly's. I found a hairtie and I pulled my matted hair up into a bun, managing to make myself look a little more human again before the seatbelt sign came on.

We landed in a private part of the airport and Norwegian police and a large security team in suits stood ready to greet us at the bottom of the stairs. Seb pulled on a thick wool coat and a scarf, and he passed me some gloves, a scarf and a pink coat. 'You're going to need these.' He was right. Even wrapped up, wearing Lolly's clothes and boots, it was bitterly cold, definitely in the minuses. A blacked out car with blacked out windows stood at the end of the path, the path surrounded by security and police, and each of them bowed as we passed, before climbing into the car. Then, we headed off to the city in the mid-morning sunlight.

A police escort led the way for our blacked-out car and one followed behind us as we sped along the main road towards the city. I looked out of the window and the snow-covered fir trees and I felt my body relax, knowing that we were safe. Seb's warm fingers wrapped themselves around mine as we moved along, passing over rivers, Norway's beauty drawing me in. And then we reached the city and the crown prince started to point out the sights in his homeland; the Opera house. The Akershus Fortress with its fairytale-like towers and cobbled streets. The Museum of the Nobel Peace Prize with its plaza outside, filled with tourists and locals who turned our way as we passed. Then we turned into a road filled with tourists walking alongside it. I saw why. At the end of the road stood the Royal Palace. I recognised it from a few photos, but it was more beautiful then I'd imagined. We passed a security box and they sent us through straight away.

'I'm glad we're in this car.' Seb sighed. 'I don't think I want the public to see me like this.' He still looked handsome but we both looked exhausted. I understood his exact thoughts. He didn't look like the strong future King that Norway probably knew so well. We reached a fork in the road and I looked up at the grand palace with its pillars , statue and many windows. The flag flew high, signalling royalty were at home. Flowers were around the bottom of the statue, a tribute perhaps to the missing prince, but visitors stared at the car excitedly and some cheered as we passed, as if knowing that the prince was inside. That he'd been returned safely. The car drove us around the back of the palace, through the private grand gates and gardens and into an enclosed courtyard, where the gate was firmly shut behind us. Then the car door was being opened for us by the driver.

'Din høyhet.' The driver bowed for Seb as he got out of the car and so did the other people stood, waiting to greet us. Then I saw the two royal families ready to greet us.

'Thank god!' Lolly ran with her mother, embracing Seb, all formalities gone as they held him and kissed him.

Phillip pulled me into a hug and then my father and the Queen were at my side, hugging me too. The reunions were kind and tender, and it even seemed like my father had missed me. Perhaps.

'Are you hurt?' Father asked, his voice concerned.

'I'm fine.' I replied as he reached up to touch my head.

'We'll get this checked inside.' He said and I nodded, mutely.

'You will both be examined. We want to ensure you are both completely fine.' The King of Norway's booming voice said in his thick accent. Seb and I both nodded, knowing that they needed the reassurance.

Other than losing some wait, Seb and I were cleared as being well and I didn't even bat an eyelid when they checked his shoulder, finding that there was no wound. I'd expected as much. My stitches were removed allowing my head to heal properly, and I pulled my side-fringe down over it, covering the ugly thing. We were both sent to our rooms to have warm baths and to get changed and then we had lunch with our families before being sent to answer the questions from the policeforce. My heart ached when I found out that they'd been to the villa in Capri, but Ezra and his men were nowhere to be seen. And they hadn't been killed outside the monastery either, but two of his other men had.

I retired to my guest room early that night, sinking into the comfy bed, which was tucked under a velvet canopy in a grand room that reminded me very much of the palace back home. I stared up at the canopy for a while, in the satin deep pink and light pink pyjama set that reminded me of Victoria's Secret, but my mind just wouldn't switch off. I walked over to the french doors that led to a small private balcony and I opened them, not caring about the cold air. I stepped out onto the balcony and looked at the snow-sprinkled grounds of the palace; the fountain that was trickling, the frozen trees, the frost-covered bushes of the maze. Then there was the night-sky in front of me, less stars visible because of the city lights. I was safe, but why couldn't I sleep? Part of me worried about Ezra still being out there. Was that it? Was it the worry that he'd come back for me? A knock at the door made me jump and I turned on the balcony to see who it was. 'Come in.'

The door opened and Seb walked in, in plaid pyjama bottoms and a dressing gown. 'Sorry to bother you so late. Should I go?'

'No it's fine.' I replied with a small smile.

He closed the door behind him and walked over to me. 'What are you doing out there? You'll freeze!'

'It's a bit of a contrast to the weather we've had the past week.' I said, curling my toes inside of the fluffy white slippers. 'Maybe that's why it's somewhat refreshing.'

He gave me a nod of understanding. 'I wanted to check you were okay.'

'He's still out there.' I said, sadly, meeting his eyes. 'What if he comes for me again?'

'That won't happen.'

'How do you know?'

'Because I'm going to keep you safe.' His voice was sincere as he looked at my worried eyes.

'You can't keep me safe forever.' I sighed, running a hand through my hair. 'We're going to be going back to London soon, I'm sure of it.'

'Father wants you to stay for a while.' Seb whispered. 'Your father has a lot of errands to run and he's expected to travel to Australia next week with the Queen. Unfortunately his busy schedule can't be postponed... my father wants you and your brother to stay here where you are safe. Our security is excellent and Ezra is far less likely to come here for you.'

'But what about school?' I should already have been back at school. 'And my father? Has he agreed to this?'

'He doesn't know yet, but I'm sure he will do whatever is best for you.' He gave a small smile and then I shivered, the cold getting to me. 'Come on, let's go inside where it's warm.' He led me back into my room and closed and locked the doors behind me as I climbed under the duvet, warming my fingers and toes. 'I'll let you get some sleep.' He headed towards the door.

'Seb?' He paused at my voice.

'Yes?' His tired eyes met mine.

'I know it's not the done thing or whatever...' I wrinkled my nose and he chuckled softly. 'And I know it's not the Royal thing to do, the honorable thing... or whatever Mr Darcy says.' He chuckled again. 'But will you stay? Just for tonight? I just don't feel... safe.'

His eyes flicked to the bedroom door and then back to mine. I knew what he was thinking; what would our parents say? The Crown Prince of Norway spending the night with the English princess. It would be frowned upon, even if it was completely innocent. Then he let go of our titles and nodded. 'Of course.' He walked over and sat down on the bed beside me, shrugging out of his robe and revealing his bare chest. It wasn't as muscular as Zed's, but muscles were still there, visible in the dim light of the table lamp on my beside table. He turned to me and I looked at the shoulder that had been shot. The skin was perfect, flawless. I wished I could have said the same about my forehead. Then he slid under the duvet cover beside me and turned off the light, as he gently stroked my hair. 'Goodnight Sky.' And then with a gentle kiss on the forehead, where my cut was, I fell asleep.

'Sky! Seb!' A loud whisper made me stir the next morning and I opened my eyes, warily, hoping we hadn't been caught. Seb stretched out beside me and I spotted Lolly stood, watching us with an over-enthusiastic grin on her face. 'Good morning!' She said, cheerily and Seb groaned beside me as I moved my head off of his shoulder.

'Sister, you should know to knock.' Seb said, showing me that he was not a morning person. He ran a hand through his messy blonde hair and slipped out of the covers, grabbing his robe.

'Better me finding you than mother or father.' Lolly replied. 'Or King Edward.'

Seb swallowed, nervously, and I knew she was right. It was better for her to find her. He turned to face me. 'I'd better get back to my room before anyone realises my bed hasn't been slept in.' He gave us a cheeky smile before disappearing out of the door, past the guards who would never tell of what they had seen.

'Breakfast is in half an hour.' Lolly told me, tying back her hair into a ponytail. 'You'd better get dressed.' I looked at the wardrobe and she smiled. 'There's a few things of mine in there, but we're sending out the handmaidens to get you some clothes today. They'll fit you after breakfast. You need a nice dress for the press release this afternoon.'

'Press release?' I rubbed my forehead and frowned. We'd only been back just shy of twenty-four hours. All I wanted was to relax.

'Our fathers think it would be best to show the public you're alive and well. A written announcement is one thing, but they will want to see your faces.' She made a face and I giggled. 'Except it's going to be sent out worldwide at the same time so that nobody knows your location. As of yet, we don't want anyone to know you are in Oslo.'

'Until it's safe.' I said, sadly, and she nodded. 'Well then, what do you suggest I wear?'

Breakfast with the two royal families was interesting. We ate in the main dining hall, the walls decorated with portraits from past and present and a grand chandelier hanging over our heads. I sat quietly, listening to the conversations flowing, whilst glaring at my brother when he silently threatened to throw fruit or cheerios by way. We didn't want an internation incident on our hands.

'King Edward, my wife and I have been speaking about your upcoming visit to Australia.' King Aleksander said, closing his knife and fork on his empty plate.

'It will be a good trip.' My father replied with a nod. He finished his toast and set down his empty plate. 'I would like to take Sky and Phillip with me, but it will be difficult to keep them safe when our location is being publicised every single day of the trip.'

'But will they be safe back in London?' Queen Roseanna looked at her husband, her eyes troubled as I munched on my food. I wondered at what point King Aleksander was going to intervene as Seb had said the previous night.

'We have hired more security guards for the palace and for now, Sky won't be going back to school because I can't guarantee her safety there.'

'What?' I frowned as I looked at my father. 'But my friends... my studies...'

'I'd rather you were safe at present. Your friends can visit you at the palace.'

But Zed couldn't. Because we weren't allowed to see each other. 'And my studies?'

'Edward, forgive me for interrupting, but I might have a solution.' King Aleksander spoke up and Seb's eyes met mine from the seat beside my brother. 'You are worried about the safety of your daughter, understandably. I worry about Sebastien and Laura's safety too.' He clasped his hands together on the table, a friendly smile on his face. 'I propose that you allow Sky and Phillip to stay here with us whilst on your month tour of Australia. Our security is tight and I believe that the captors won't look for them here. In addition, our children are home-schooled by excellent tutors and I am sure they would be willing to take on Sky.'

My father looked surprised, taken aback almost, but Queen Roseanna simply smiled. 'What a lovely, kind offer.'

'Forgive me, Aleksander, but I am sure you understand my concerns with leaving my children in a foreign country they are not familiar with.'

'Father, we've holidayed here before.' Phillip spoke up this time. 'For a week on two occasions. My Norwegian is poor, but I'm sure Sky and I could learn and perhaps it would be safer than London after what happened just over a week ago.'

My father looked at me this time. 'Sky, you have been through a lot. Wouldn't you prefer to return home to places you're familiar with? To Sally and Simon?'

'Sky's adoptive parents are welcome here at any time.' Aleksander said, giving me a cheerful smile.

I put down the toast I had been eating and wiped my hands carefully on the napkin. 'Maybe a change of scenery might do me some good, but only if Sally and Simon can come and stay when they can take time off work?'

'Any family or friends of yours are welcome here Sky.'

My father cleared his throat and looked at my brother and I. 'The choice is yours children. You are welcome to stay here or we can organise arrangements for you to travel back to England.'

My brother looked at me from across the table and smiled. 'I think we'll stay father.'

'Okay.' The King of England nodded. 'But I will send some of our security over to join your teams, Aleksander. And Sky is to continue her studies whilst here.' He stood up. 'Now if you'll excuse me, I need to make some calls if my wife and I are to catch our flight tonight as planned.'

'We're going to have such fun together!' Lolly said, excitedly, as I was readied for the press release that afternoon. I wore a simple red bodycon-fitted dress with long sleeves and a skirt that fell just above the knees with a statement pearl necklace, my hair down in loose curls.

'I've still got to study, remember.' I reminded my friend as the palace beauticians applied make-up to my face, gently dabbing foundation over the cut on my forehead that was scabby where it was healing.

'Yes, but you'll be studying with me so it will almost be bearable!' She grinned, patting her hands on the jeans. Why didn't I get to wear jeans? Because of some stupid broadcast, I reminded myself.

There was a knock at the door and the handmaidens walked in, curtsying. 'Din høyhet.' They said, a term I was becoming familiar with; your highness. They held many shopping bags in their hands and boxes too, all six of them completely loaded with items of clothing. 'We bring you clothes in your sizes.' One of them said in broken English. 'We try to make them like clothes you wear at home. We want you to be welcome.'

'Thank you, that's very kind.' I said with a smile as the beauticians stepped away from me, checking my make-up. They curtsied and dismissed themselves, leaving me with my friend and the handmaidens.

'If you no like anything, please let me know.' The women got to work, hanging up clothing and filling the wardrobe and dresser with shoes, knitwear, dresses, skirts and underwear. Thankfully, I saw two pairs of jeans be put away and a pair of leggings. I let out a sigh of relief.

'I brought you something.' Lolly reached for the bag she'd brought in and pulled out a laptop and charger. 'I thought you might want to catch up with your friends.'

'Thank you.' I said with a grateful smile.

There was another knock at the door and in walked Queen Roseanna. My friend curtsied and then excused herself, as did the other women working away in the guestroom, leaving me alone with my stepmother.

'How are you, my dear?' She asked with her soft voice as she pulled me into a hug. She examined the cut on my head and frowned.

'I'm okay.' I replied, honestly.

'Are you unhappy about staying here?' She looked concerned. 'Because we can send you back to England this evening if you'd prefer.'

I thought of my friends, Sally, Simon and then I thought of Zed. I still wasn't sure what I wanted but above all, I wanted to be safe. And Seb made me _feel_ safe. 'No, it's fine.' I told her.

'I'm glad your safe.' She whispered, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. 'And so is your father.' I smiled and she squeezed my hand. 'Come on, I believe the public will be happy too.'

We were seated in a reception room that wasn't usually used for television appearances, seated in front of a blank wall to keep the location of us secret. We sat on chairs, side-by-side as the camera crew set up, adjusting the lighting and prepping the cameras. Seb had written a speech and he rehearsed it under his breath as he sat beside me. But I wasn't prepared. What would I say? I swallowed, nervously as the camera crew counted down in Norwegian, the numbers familiar from when Seb had taught me in Capri. Then they were rolling.

'God ettermiddag or good afternoon. This is His Royal Highness, Prince Sebastien of Norway and beside me is her Royal Highness Princess Sky of England. We are here today to let you know that despite being kidnapped on February 13th, we are alive and well.' He paused for a moment before continuing. 'As I am sure you have all heard, we were kidnapped during the bomb blasts in London on the 13th February, the bomb blasts which killed many innocent people including our good friends and colleagues, Ciara Thompson and Nikolai Hansen. First of all, I would like to offer our condolences to those who lost their loved ones in the blast and to those who were injured. Losing someone you love is heartbreaking and I know that there is nothing that can be done to heal that pain so for that, I am truly sorry.' He paused again, his voice thick with emotion. 'And secondly, I would like to thank those involved in our rescue mission and those who have done everything they can to keep us safe. Understandably, we will both be taking this time out of the spotlight so please allow us time to do so.' Aleksander pointed at me from behind the camera and I realised he wanted me to say something. I felt warm and I felt the blood rushing to my cheeks as I thought of something I could say.

'Thank you for all of your kind words and support to us and to our families over the past several days.' I found myself saying, almost automatically. 'I know that on occasion people have doubted me and wondered whether or not I should really be a princess and the truth is, I have wondered that too. The man who kidnapped us believed the very same; that I had no right to be princess and his opinion fuelled his attack and made me doubt myself.' I felt tears filling my eyes and I swallowed as Seb slipped his hand into mine, giving it a reassuring squeeze. 'No one should feel the way I did and I would like to say that whoever you are, whatever your position, please do not allow people to make decisions or to make you change your opinion of yourselves. Each and every person has the right to be happy and to feel safe and that is why I want to be princess... to make a difference and help those who are struggling.' I surprised myself by saying it. 'England, I would like to be your princess if you would let me.'

Seb smiled a genuine smile beside me and my father nodded as Phillip gave me a thumbs up and Roseanna gave me a proud smile. Seb took over speaking, not letting go of my hands. 'People of the world, tomorrow will be a day of freedom. Tomorrow I hope you celebrate freedom and your lives and well as remember those who have fallen. Thank you and good night.' The cameras cut out and a few people applauded as we stood up. Seb simply turned to me and smiled. 'So it took being kidnapped for you to realise that perhaps you could be a princess after all?'

I bit my lip as I looked up at him. 'I guess so.'

I couldn't sleep that night again. My father and the Queen had left, ready to head to Australia for their tour there, and Phillip had joined Seb and the king for after dinner drinks. Lolly had wanted a girly night, but I was tired, even if I couldn't sleep, so I'd made my excuses and I'd aimed for an early night. I tossed and turned in my bed, but then I gave up, turning on the laptop Lolly had given me and signing into my Facebook account. I had many notifications, many people who had messaged or posted on my Facebook wall, glad that I was safe. I opened up a chat message and added Lucy, Zoe and Tina.

 _Hi girls,_

 _So I'm okay, which is good, but I'm not going to be at school for at least a month, which will be weird. Hopefully I will see you all soon! Miss you xxx_

Straight away, the replies came in and I remembered that in England they were one hour behind; 10pm.

Lucy: _You're not at school for a month?! Where are you?_

Zoe: _Oh god, are you okay?_

Tina: _But what about all these stupid assignments?!_

Me: _Girls, don't tell_ anyone _because it's life or death or whatever, but I'm in Norway with Seb and Lolly's family and Phillip. My dad thought it would be the safest option as then people don't know where we are and Norway tend to stay out of all the drama. And Tina- don't worry, I'm being taught at the palace so plenty of assignments to be doing! Ick!_

Tina: _Wait, so you get to spend an extra month with prince yummy pants? How is that fair?_

Zoe: _Omg you're like Anna and Elsa! That was Norway right?_

Me: _Yes, but I don't think Arundelle is real, Zo._

Lucy: _Going to miss you loads._

Me: _Well maybe you can all come and visit one weekend? I'll speak to King Aleksander when I can._

Tina: _AWESOME! BTW, in your announcement, was Prince yummy pants holding your hand?_

My mind flitted to Zed. If they'd seen then he had too. I clicked on his Facebook page and wished I hadn't. There were photos of him and Savannah clogging up his timeline. And in the most recent, he was kissing her cheek. I frowned. It still said he was single, but it seemed that he'd been busy whilst I was away. I googled his name and sure enough, article after article came up about his appearances and dinner dates with Savannah. And numerous other girls. There were photos of him the previous night leaving a club, drunk. Underage. I winced. Zed Benedict, what the hell were you doing?


	22. I knew you were trouble

I didn't sleep well that night and it was evident in the morning when my handmaiden came into the room, drawing back the curtains and revealing the freshly fallen snow. She glanced at my face and her cheery smile turned into a frown. 'Did you not sleep well, your highness?' She asked in perfect English. Lavine, my assigned handmaiden for my stay, was middle-aged with white-blonde hair and grey eyes and her English was excellent. Her mannerisms were already reminding me of Sally, even though I'd only been at the Royal Palace in Oslo for two days.

'I'm afraid not.' I replied, pulling back my covers and getting up. Lavine moved to my bed, making it straight away and plumping up the cushions as I walked over to the mirror. Dark bags were visible under my eyes and I yawned. 'What's on today's intinery?'

'Nothing, miss.' She said, looking across the room at me. 'It's Prince Sebastien's day of freedom. The shops and attractions in the city are all closed for today and people are not going into work.'

'A bank holiday?' She looked at me puzzled. 'We have bank holidays in England when things aren't open and children don't have to go to school.'

'Then I suppose it is a bank holiday.' She said with a smile. 'There's going to be a parade and almost everyone has a day off work.' But she didn't. She was the almost everyone.

I looked out of the window at the snowy gardens, empty of tourists and visitors as it was winter time. I'd read that in the summer, when the family moved to their summer palace across the country, tourists were allowed to visit parts of the palace and enjoy the beautiful gardens. 'It's a shame we can't see the parade.'

'It will be visible from the library.' She said with a smile. 'Perhaps you can watch from up there? And then his majesty is having a palace for the ambassadors and nobles in the country this evening. You probably won't see him until the party because he's so busy pulling it together last minute. I don't think Prince Sebastien considered that when he called for a day of freedom.'

'So Norway goes all out for a day of freedom?'

'I suppose so, miss. It doesn't happen very often, but we do like a good celebration.' Her eyes crinkled at the corners as she opened up my wardrobe for me.

I felt guilty that people were enjoying a day off and she was here, preparing things for my day. 'Lavine, you are relieved for the rest of the day.' I said and her smile faded.

'I'm afraid that isn't possible, miss. I'll be needing to get you ready for the party this evening.'

'What time?'

'The party starts at eight miss.'

'Then you're dismissed until five.' I said with a smile and she looked at me in surprise.

She curtsied. 'You are too kind, your highness.'

'Please go and enjoy the parade.' I told her, tying my hair into a loose bun. 'And I'll see you later.'

'They were right.' She said with a smile. 'You _are_ a great princess.' And then she was gone.

Phillip, Lolly, Seb and I had breakfast in the library that morning, by ourselves as the King and Queen were busy preparing for the party. The party was being kept press-free, because of my attendance, but it was still being taken very seriously and caterers and decorators hurried about the palace, trying to pull everything together on a tight timescale. A rack of dresses had turned up in Lolly's room for us to choose from and outside tourists were lining the streets, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Royal Family on their day of freedom.

'So what would you like to do today?' Seb asked me as I finished breakfast. I looked across and him and Lolly, before turning to my brother.

'I have a few ideas.'

We ended up in the gardens, in the untouched snow, the snow which didn't have a single footprint in it until we were out there. I started the snowball fight by launching a snowball at my brother and then, quickly after, one at Seb.

'You can't attack the Crown Prince of Norway!' Seb said, mockingly and I launched another one, this time hitting his pretty face.

'Ooops!'

Lolly giggled and launched a snowball at my brother before ducking behind a statue for safety. My brother grabbed a handful of snow and ran after her, laughing, as snow ended up down my back. I squealed at Seb and grabbed him, tackling him to the ground.

'You're going to start a war between Norway and England.' He chuckled underneath me as I picked up some snow and slipped it down his jumper. 'Agh!' He cried out and the guards looked at us warily before continuing to watch the area.

'Sorry, your highness.' I smirked and he reached up to tuck a loose strand of hair inside my hand. I froze. The aura surrounding him had changed. Pink. I blushed and looked away, standing myself off and brushing my snow-covered outfit down. I realised Phillip was watching Seb and I and he didn't even see Lolly sneak up behind him, throwing snowballs at his head. He laughed and turned to face her again, ready to attack.

We ended up completely soaking and freezing cold by the time we'd had a snowball fight and made a family of snowmen by the maze. Seb and Lolly snapped photos of the snowmen on their phones, able to upload the pictures to Instagram, but we couldn't be tagged in them for security reasons. Only the guests at the party that evening, who were important in their own right, would know we were in Oslo for the time-being. After a warm shower and changing into dry clothes, we moved to the library for a late lunch, so that we could watch the parade too. It was due to set off by the fortress and then it would travel up to the palace, finishing just outside. Seb and Lolly were expected to make an appearance with the King and Queen on the balcony at the front of the palace, so they were dressed in smart winter fashion, whereas I'd opted for some leggings, warm ugg-style boots and a baggy jumper. Out of the window there was a sea Norwegian flags, in their red glory and there were a few banners too.

'You have a lot of fans, Prince Sebastien.' I teased as I looked out of the window at the _Marry me_ and _I am your princess_ signs that were in the thick crowds. Some were written in Norwegian too, but the heart about Seb's full name suggested they were along similar lines.

'I have my own fan club.' He replied and Lolly rolled her eyes.

'Sadly he's serious.' She said to me and Phillip smirked as I almost spilt my cup of tea. 'Some teenage girls started it. They post almost everyday about how handsome my brother is. God only knows why.'

Tina would be on the website in a flash, but I decided not to mention one of my best friends from home. The parade came into view and I spotted a Viking longboat painted in the colours of the Norwegian flag travelling through the crowds towards the palace. The people on it waved and some men and women in traditional clothing danced behind it. Then there were baton-twirlers in red and white, flags following them with the peace symbol on it. Then a group of vikings. The whole thing was tasteful and was similar to parades back home, every float linking to the Norwegian heritage or peace and freedom in some way. As the parade moved closer to us, Seb and Lolly stood up and made their way towards the balcony, where the King and Queen stood ready by the french-style doors. We stood next to the guards, out of sight, and then the family walked out onto the patio together, the roar of the crowd phenomenal, and then they started to sing their National Anthem. It was a patriotic moment and my brother wrapped his arm my shoulder in a brotherly fashion, smiling as we watched Norway greet their monarchy.

My hair and make-up was done for the party quickly and it seemed to highlight all of my best features whilst hiding the cut on my forehead thanks to a make-shift side-fringe. My hair was down and curled, a crown braid threaded through the top of my hair and flowers threaded through it. When I was ready, I relocated to Lolly's bedroom, promising that we'd choose a dress together. She looked lovely in her smokey-eyed make-up and her perfect side-braid, and she hugged me when I appeared in her room.

I looked at the rack of dresses; mermaid fit, showers of tulle, long-sleeved, strapless, black, blue, red. 'Woah.'

'I know.' She grinned, looking at them. 'However will we choose?'

'We could just wear each dress for ten minutes?' I suggested and she giggled as I pulled out a shiny dress that looked like a binliner with long sleeves. 'Not this one though.'

'Usually someone designs a dress.' She told me. 'Like when I came to your benefit. Someone worked on it for weeks, making it by hand.'

'Same here' I smiled. 'But I quite like being able to choose a dress. I can decide _who_ I want to be for the evening.' I pulled out a blue dress with a tulle skirt. 'For example, I could be Cinderella.' I slipped it back and pulled out a red mermaid fit dress. 'Or Jessica Rabbit.'

She pulled out a black silk dress with capped sleeves and a drop-back. 'Or Angelina Jolie?'

'Exactly.'

'Bagsy!' Lolly pulled out a deep blue dress with tulle skirt and a tight bodice with off-the-shoulder straps which were decorated with diamante detailing. She held it against herself and smiled. 'This is perfect.'

'It's lovely.' I told her, before continuing to push past dresses, trying to find the perfect one. Then I saw it; a lilac strapless dress with tight bodice and a tulle skirt from the hips. Silver flowers were embroidered around the waist, flowing down to the hips and then spread out down the left side of the skirt to the floor. Tonight I was going to be Rapunzel. The dress fitted perfectly, hugging my small curves, and it worked well with the corset-back tightened, showing I had a young lady's figure. With a pair of strappy silver shoes, I felt ready for a ball.

Until I remembered that at the last ball, the last party I'd been to, I'd worn a beautiful dress but I'd had to dance with Ezra. And I'd had his slimy hands on me. And then he'd said he wanted me to be his wife. My stomach churned and I felt dizzy. I sank onto the floor, the netting of my skirt surrounding me.

'Sky, what is it?' Lolly said, sitting beside me in her ruffles. I didn't say anything and she reached for my hands, concerned. 'You don't have to go this evening. No one is forcing you.' I felt tired and dizzy and sick and my brow furrowed. I didn't say anything and when she tried to touch me I flinched. At some point after that, Lolly left and returning in her place was Seb, looking handsome and the perfect prince in his navy jacket with the gold tassles on the shoulder, medals on the left and a red and gold sash diagonally across his chest. I looked at him, acknowledging his prescence, but I continued to be seated on the floor, tears rolling down my cheeks.

'Sky?' He sat down opposite me, on his knees, and he reached out for me. He didn't ask what was the matter. He knew. His hand fell to my arm and he stroked his gently. 'He's not here Sky,' he whispered, 'you're safe. You're with me and you're safe here.' He reached for my cheek, gently wiping away the tears that had fallen.

'What if he comes back for me?' I whispered, my eyes flicking up to meet his.

'Then I am going to kill him.' His voice was even and I knew he was serious. He caught a tear as it fell and he held my face for a moment, looking into my eyes. 'Sky, I promise you that I will never let anyone hurt you or force you to do anything that you don't want to.' I nodded and he gave me a sad smile. 'Did you sleep well last night?' I shook my head. 'Me neither. Perhaps I need to sneak back into your room this evening or visa-versa.' He gave me a playful grin and my mouth twitched at the corners. 'I like it a lot better when you smile.' He told me and I smiled automatically, making him smile back. 'Much better.' His hand fell from my cheek, his fingers wrapping gently around mine. 'Now what do you say? A Netflix Marathon or a party? Because I think I'd prefer to take you to a party and show off England's beautiful princess to my countrymen.'

'I've ruined my make-up.' I laughed and he shook his head.

'Du er vakker for meg.'

I wrinkled my nose. 'What does that mean?'

'I guess you'll need to keep taking Norwegian lessons to find out.'

The ballroom in the palace was similar to ours at home. You had to make a grand entrance, walking down the grand stairs, which I did with Seb and Lolly did with Phillip. The ceiling was beautifully decorated, as were the walls, and a portrait of the Royal family hung against a wall. Waitors and Waitresses flitted about with flutes of champagne and orange juice, and guests mingled as a jazz band played. Seb led me over to the King and Queen and I curtsied for them.

'You look lovely Princess.' King Aleksander said with a friendly smile. 'An excellent choice of dress.'

'Thank you.' I said, suddenly feeling nervous. I'd spoken a few times to Seb's mother and father, but I still wasn't relaxed around them and I was sure it was because they were King and Queen of a country I knew very little about. Seb placed his hand on the small of my back and then left me to grab two flutes of champagne.

'How are you finding Norway so far?' Queen Elena asked, her blue eyes, which she had passed on to Seb, twinkling.

'Your country is very beautiful.' I replied and she smiled, proudly.

'We have many beautiful parts. Oslo is a lovely city but I feel you'd love the countryside even more.'

Seb returned with the glasses of champagne and passed me one. 'Thank you.'

'Ah yes, I've spoken of the fjords.' Seb said, joining in with the conversation. 'I think Sky and Prince Phillip would really like them.'

'I think so too.' The Queen agreed with a nod. She looked at her husband and he smiled.

'Well the tutor for Sky and Laura doesn't start for another week. Perhaps we could spend some time in Gamlehaugen.' The King smiled. 'I'll have Hans get everything organised for us and we could leave tomorrow as I have a free week.'

Seb beamed, excitedly from beside me as the King and Queen left and my brother and Lolly walked over to us. 'What's going on?' Lolly asked, warily.

'I've just somehow convinced father to let us go to Gamlehaugen for a week!' Seb smiled and Lolly squealed with excitement.

'What am I missing?' I asked, looking between the prince and princess of Norway.

'Gamlehaugen is our father's official residence in Bergen.' Seb replied and my brother nodded. 'It's in the fjords!'

I wanted to be excited, I really did, but I just couldn't help but wonder if travelling to a quieter part of the country, away from the palace, was the safest option for us.

The flight on the private jet took us an hour and we were greeted with a police escort at the airport once again. The journey to the house sent us through snow-covered hills and it felt a lot colder in the open, away from the buildings in Oslo. I felt nervous as the range rover drove up a dirt track and then it reached a gate and a fenced off area next to a partially-frozen lake. We were buzzed inside and staff, including security, stood by the door, ready to greet us. The house itself was breathtaking and looked like a castle. Gamlehaugen was a white building, three-stories high, with a large tower that reminded me of Rapunzel's. We entered round the back, where grand doors stood opposite a flowerbed and small fountain. Our tour showed us the house in its true beauty; wooden floors, carved wooden walls, old but cosy lit fireplaces, patterned wallpapers, chandeliers, vintage furniture and one of the most beautiful pianos I had ever seen. There was a library crammed with books, a reception room, a cinema-style room, a kitchen, two dining rooms and eight bedrooms. Mine and Phillip's rooms were alongside Seb and Lolly's and then the King and Queen had the tower to themselves. My room was golden and cosy, with a fireplace and a four-poster bed, and a beautiful view of the lake. My luggage was brought up by staff, despite my protests, and they immediately started unpacking for me, as I tried to be excited.

'Can you see why it's my favourite place?' Lolly asked, appearing in the doorway, slippers already on her feet.

'It's lovely.' I told her and it was. I just couldn't seem to get excited about it.

'What's wrong?' She asked, moving into the room and sitting on my bed beside me.

'It's a bit open isn't it?' It was true. The nearest building was two miles away. We were in the middle of nowhere and outside was deafeningly quiet.

'My mother and father wouldn't have brought us here if it wasn't safe.' She assured me. 'And you've seen how many guards are with us. There's four by the gate alone! Let alone the ten in this building! We've never had this many guards here with us before and we've always been fine.'

I sighed and looked down at my french-manicured nails, still perfect from the night before. 'Sorry for worrying.'

'I understand.' She said, giving my arm a squeeze. 'But next week we're going to have our tutor with us and believe me, he's hard work so let's just enjoy our last week of freedom, okay?'

'Okay.'

'The Northern Lights forecast is rubbish this evening.' Seb said at dinner with a wrinkled nose. He glanced at his phone again and the Queen tutted.

'Sebastien, put that thing away. No phones at the table, especially when we have guests.' She said.

'Sorry mother.' He slipped it back into his pocket, disappointment still clear.

'Son, why are you so bothered about the Aurora?' His father asked with a playful smile. 'You used to hate going out hunting for them.'

I cocked my head to the side as I looked at Seb. 'You hated looking for the Northern Lights? Are you crazy?'

'He preferred staying in and having some of my famous hot chocolate.' Queen Elena smiled.

'With the marshmallows and cream? Mmm I hope you're making some this evening.' Lolly licked her lips and smiled across the table at her mother.

'So why are you so interested in the lights now?' The King continued to probe and Seb frowned as his cheeks reddened.

'They're just nice to look at.'

'Plenty of nice things to look at here.'

Seb's blush deepened and he said something I didn't understand. 'Vær rolig far.' Whatever it was, it made Elena and Lolly laugh. I shot them a questionnable look and they gave me a smile. A secret smile.

I spent the evening in Lolly's room, curled up under a fur blanket and watching old Audrey Hepburn movies whilst the fire burnt in the corner. We nibbled on Norwegian chocolate as we watched and we sipped on the hot chocolate Queen Elena had made for us. Then we spoke about boys and crushes, and anything else that girls did. It was nice and it was like having a sister. I was sneaking back to my room in my new Disney pyjamas, thanks to Lavine, when I bumped into Seb.

'Sorry.' I whispered, hoping we weren't going to wake anyone up or draw attention to ourselves.

'It's okay.' He said with a cute smile, running a hand through his messy blonde hair. 'Did you and Lolly have fun?'

'We did.' I smiled.

'Audrey Hepburn again?'

'I love her!'

'Not another one!' He teased. 'Nice Pjs by the way.'

'Do you like them?' I laughed, giving a twirl. 'Lavine ordered them for me.'

'They're very you, although I had you more as a Rapunzel girl than Ariel.' It was a comment that made me think of Marcus dressed as Flynn Rider for me at the Halloween party. Everything had seemed so hard and complicated then, but I really had no idea. _Now_ everything was complicated. I shivered as my mind reminded me that Ezra was still out there somewhere. 'Are you okay?' Seb asked, although his facial expression told me he already knew the answer.

'How safe are we here?' I asked him and his brows furrowed.

'Perfectly safe. Mother and father even think we're safe enough to go sightseeing.' I didn't say anything, just shifted uncomfortably. 'What some company again today?' I simply nodded and he gave a small smile. 'Shall we sleep in my room tonight? It's nice and cosy from where the fire has been on.'

I'd not been in a boy's bedroom before and I felt naughty doing so. I was surprised that everything inside the bedroom was modern, from the comfy-looking modern bed with grey and light blue duvet covers to the plush grey sofa and the flatscreen television above the updated fireplace. The embers still burnt, but the room was warm and cosy, despite it's large size, and I noticed it had a swanky looking ensuite. Not that my ensuite wasn't swanky. I'd brushed my teeth looking in a large antique mirror, but Seb's moderness of the room was somewhat refreshing and contrasted with the rest of the house. Lolly's room had been cool too, like something out of a fairytale, but this was just completely different. Seb pulled back the duvet covers and I climbed in beside him as he pulled off his t-shirt, revealing his chest. I suddenly felt silly wearing Little Mermaid pyjamas.

'You're probably getting fed up of seeing me all day and then all night too.' I whispered to Seb as he switched off the bedside lamp and looked across at me.

'Of course not.' He replied as he laid down facing me. 'I could never get bored of seeing you.'

I was woken up the next day by a phone ringing and I realised it was mine. I picked up the new iPhone, the one Phillip had got hold of for me, and I squinted at the number ringing me. I hadn't saved it in my phone book and only Sally, Simon, Lucy, Zoe, Tina, Lolly, Seb and the King and Queen had my number. I answered it and tiptoed out of Seb's room, thankfully not running into anyone. 'Hello?' I whispered as I walked up the corridor towards my room. My feet felt cold on the wooden floor and I winced.

'Sky?' Zed's voice made my heart skip a beat. Palpitations. I didn't say anything. I simply sucked in a breath as I reached my room and slid inside without being seen. 'How are you?' He asked as I sat myself on the four poster bed, putting my cold legs and feet under the warm duvet.

'I'm fine thank you. How are you?' I felt awkward and I wasn't sure whether to bring up the pictures of him and Savannah on his Facebook page. Or the newspaper articles, more of which had been added the previous day.

'Yeah I'm alright.' He paused for a moment and I wondered if he'd hung up, but he spoke again. 'I saw you on the television.'

'Oh?'

'You've got a cut on your forehead.' His voice sounded pained.

I automatically reached up to touch the scabbed cut. 'It needed a few stitches but it's healing. It doesn't hurt anymore. Still looks bad though, huh?'

'I'm worried about you, Sky, but Lucy said you weren't coming back to school for a while. What's going on?' He sounded distant and I felt guilty. We'd been together, hadn't we? Before all of this had happened?

'I'm in Norway.' I said, quietly.

'With _him_?' He sounded angry and it irritated me.

'Him? _He_ has a name, Zed.'

'Prince Sebastien right? I knew this was going to happen. I told you that you were better with him than me and you just had to believe it didn't you? That's why you got kidnapped. Because you were out with _him_ when the bombs went off.' I felt like I'd been slapped around the face by his bitter words. They stung and tears filled my eyes.

'So you're saying it's my fault I was kidnapped?' I blinked and a tear escaped.

'No, I'm saying it was _his_ fault.'

'If Seb hadn't been with me I'm not sure I would have coped and I am pretty sure I would still be there.' I said, my voice cracking. 'But you don't care, do you? You were too busy cuddling up to Savannah and going out and getting pissed with random girls you don't know!'

'Because you were with _him_ doing god only knows what.'

'Nothing has happened between Seb and I and if you think I'm like that then clearly you don't know me well at all.'

'I'm not sure I want to.' Another slap to the face.

I felt sick and wounded and I knew I couldn't take anymore. 'Goodbye Zed.' I hung up the phone and threw it down on the bed.

There was a knock at the door and I heard one of the maid's voices. 'Your highness, breakfast is ready.'

'I'm not hungry.' I replied, truthfully. 'I don't feel well.' And I locked the door, shutting out anyone who would come and find me.

I stayed in my room all day behind the locked door, sat in my pyjamas sobbing for what Zed and I had had and what we had lost. Was the whole soulfinder business lies? It certainly felt like it because I was sure that you wouldn't give up on your soulmate just like that. And then within hours of ending things with me, he'd publically released over facebook that he and Savannah were in a relationship. Lucy had called and text me. Tina was slagging him off on our group chat, even though she knew nothing of our relationship. And I just cried, ignoring the calls and ignoring the knocks on the door from staff, my brother and my friends.

 _ **In England...**_

Zed Benedict cursed as he looked at his phone, irritated and his blood positively boiling. Sky and he had been alright before she'd been kidnapped, hadn't they? Sneaking around like Romeo and Juliet had been difficult but in ways it had caused an adrenaline rush. The excitement of being caught. But then if her father had found out...

It didn't matter now though, did it? She'd met that stupid Norwegian prince at the Benefit in Paris, a suitor just like her father wanted. The two of them being together would be great for England and for Norway and they'd be an alliance between them for sure. Was it his fault? He'd suggested after the Ball that perhaps Sky should date the prince, that he was better for her. And he was, wasn't he? He wasn't in a boyband being told by his manager that he wasn't allowed a girlfriend. Nor was he a smoker and underage drinker, a bad boy who loved the female attention. And his parents probably weren't disappointed in him like Zed's were for a lot of the time and who could blame them? They'd spent a lot of time going into school, trying to take the blame for Zed's mistakes and trying to get him on any support system they could. But then he'd met Sky and suddenly giving up smoking and drinking and changing the image seemed almost worth it...

And then she was kidnapped. With her prince charming. Zed looked across the room at Savannah, who was chewing a pencil as she wrote a new song about him. She smiled seductively and he found himself smiling back. She was the perfect girl. Pretty, sexy, her voice was pretty good (although not as good as Sky's, he found himself thinking). And she looked hot. All the time. And he didn't need to hide and sneak around with her. He could make-out with her wherever she wanted and Savannah had been supportive when his _lab partner_ Princess Sky had gone missing, offering to help him with his work and a few _other_ things. His parents liked Savannah too, didn't they? Not that he cared what they thought of course...

He frowned and Savannah looked across at him, her eyes burning into his with desire. 'What's wrong, babe?' She asked.

'Nothing.' He shrugged, tense. Why did he care so much about Sky Bright or Princess Sky or whatever her name was? She was just a girl. And she wasn't his type _at all._ But for some reason, her staying in Norway with Prince Perfect bothered him.


	23. Lights will guide you home

**_AN: Had to include the Northern Lights/Aurora Borealis in this chapter as got to see them on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day in Iceland and they were so crazily pretty- definitely worth seeing one day if you can!_**

 _'I guess I wanted you more.'_ I sang softly from my spot on the windowseat the following afternoon. _'And looking back now, I'm sure, I wanted you more... I guess I wanted you more...'_ A single tear rolled down my cheek as I looked outside at the snowy landscape across the lake. Then I wondered what on earth I was doing crying over Zed Benedict. We'd only been a couple for a few weeks, hadn't we? And he'd clearly moved on, back to his playing ways. I sighed and looked out the window once again. _'I don't need you, I don't need you anymore.'_

'Sky?' There was a knock at the door and I heard Seb's voice from the other side. He was worried and I didn't blame him. I'd not left my room since the morning before, thanks to my ensuite bathroom. I had eaten lunch today, though. I'd grabbed the food after it was delivered outside of the room with a fresh jug of water. 'If you won't talk to me then at least talk to Lolly _please._ Have I done something wrong?'

Of course he hadn't. He was perfect. My knight in shining armour, my private dreamcatcher. It was just his gender that proved to be a problem. Could princesses become nuns? Because I was starting to consider it.

'Sky, please, I'm worried.'

'Where's Phillip?'

'He and Lolly are out with my parents in town, but I can call them to come back if you want.'

'You should have gone with them.' There was silence and I realised that maybe that had stung. Did he think I didn't want him around?

'You were worrying about me getting tired of you but I think it was the other way around.' He said sadly from the other side of the door and it made my heart ache. I didn't want to push him away. We'd been so much and we'd grown close. He was probably my best friend. I sighed and got up, walking over to the door, unlocking and opening it. Seb was sat on the floor and he looked up at me in surprise. 'Whatever I did wrong, I'm sorry.' He said, his eyes sad as they met mine. He stood up and tucked his hands in his pockets, awkwardly.

'You've not done anything wrong.' I whispered, fiddling with the hem of my baggy jumper.

'Then who's arse do I need to kick?' He gave me a small smile but the concern was clearly still there.

'It's not even worth it, trust me.' I replied, tightening my ponytail. 'In fact, I don't even know what I was crying over.'

'Are you sure?' He didn't look certain.

'I'm sure.' I reassured with a smile. If Zed Benedict was going to be care-free then so was I.

'Okay, then I need a favour.'

'Oh?' I tilted my head to the side.

'It's Lolly's 17th birthday next Saturday, as I'm sure she's probably told you.' I nodded and he continued. 'But I don't have a clue what to buy her. I don't really know that much about girls and well, you're a girl.'

'Last time I checked.' I laughed and he gave me a cheeky smile. 'I hope you've got your credit card. Come on in, my laptop is on.'

'How are you?!' Lucy asked on Skype that evening as I sat in my pyjamas, ready for an early night. I tied my hair into a loose bun and looked at my three friends on the screen, in a country that seemed so far away from the fjords and snows outside.

'I'm okay.' I gave a small smile. She knew what had gone on because I'd text her that morning, letting her know what Zed had said to me. And she was fuming as best friends should be. 'How are you guys?'

'We miss you!' Tina and Zoe chorused, pouting.

'Please come home soon.' Lucy looked sad. 'It's lonely here without you.'

I felt for her. She had the dorm room all to herself and I understood that would be lonely. Although I did have a feeling that she and Nate were getting a lot of making out sessions squeezed in without worrying about me walking in.

'I even miss the security guards and that's saying something!' Lucy giggled and my face fell as I thought of poor Ciara. 'I'm sorry about Ciara. She was pretty cool in the end, wasn't she?'

'She was.' I nodded, thinking of her at the Taylor Swift concert with us, wearing a fan t-shirt despite not being a fan herself. And now she'd died, protecting me. My eyes teared up and I swallowed.

'So how's prince yummy?' Tina asked, winking and I rolled my eyes.

'You have to stop calling him that!'

'Why? Do you not find him attractive?' Zoe smirked and I sighed.

'Of course he's good-looking, but he's become one of my best friends. He probably sees me like a sister.'

'I don't know.' Lucy held up a magazine article which spoke of our safety and showed a 'timeline' of our 'relationship.' 'He doesn't look at you like you're just a sister.' I raised an eyebrow and she moved the magazine near the camera so I could see the pictures; Seb and I posing back-to-back at Disneyland. The two of us dancing at the Benefit in Paris, laughing. Then us dancing at my charity event a few weeks back, his eyes looking deep into mine as he smiled. The last minute made me teary-eyed. It was a photo someone had taken of us stood side-by-side on the London Eye and our hands were touching. Just before everything went wrong...

'Has that last photo been published before?' I asked Lucy and she gave a sad nod.

'They shouldn't have published it really, considering what happened just after...' She frowned and my friends gave me sympathetic expressions. 'Sky, are you ever coming home?'

'Of course I am!' I replied like they were being ridiculous.

'Because you want to or because you _have_ to because of your title?'

I paused. 'I want to.' Didn't I? 'I miss you all too much and Sally and Simon. Don't get me wrong, it's _beautiful_ here, it really is, but England is and always will be my home.'

There was a gentle knock on the door and my brother appeared in the doorway. 'Hello dear sister!' He said, his voice a teasing tone.

'Is that Phil? Hi Phil!' Tina called from Skype and my brother chuckled as he came to sit by me.

'Ladies, how are you and how is my country?' My brother said with a flirtacious smile that made Tina visibly swoon. I rolled my eyes and elbowed Phillip. 'What?' He grinned.

'We're fine!' Zoe smiled. 'And England's alright too I guess... bit wet.'

'Always is.' Lucy frowned. 'So jealous you have snow right now.'

'You both went to Morzine and had snow there!' Tina said, nudging Lucy and Phillip laughed at their arguing. I missed that.

'Right, I'm going to love you and leave you.' I said to my friends. 'Talk again soon?'

'Send us some pictures!' Lucy said.

'Of course.' I smiled and then we said our goodbyes. I turned to my brother who was watching me with a wary expression. 'What?'

'What was bothering you yesterday and this morning?' He asked and I tucked my cold toes under my duvet cover.

'It was nothing.' I replied and he frowned.

'It clearly was something if you turned down Queen Elena's hot chocolate and three meals!' He tutted. 'You've lost weight thanks to _that bastard_ and I don't want you wasting away anymore. You're tiny!' He poked me in the rib and I winced. 'See!'

'Well it wasn't worth getting upset over.' I sighed and he raised an eyebrow.

'Did Seb do something to upset you?' Protective big brother came out and it made me smile. I liked having a brother, especially one who looked out for me. It was nice.

'Of course not! Seb's great.'

'Is he now?' He wiggled his eyebrows and I whacked him with a pillow. 'How great?'

'Really Phil? You're _so_ embarassing!'

'Because you like him or...'

'Ugh!' I whacked him again. 'Shut up or get out!'

'Aren't brothers supposed to tease their sisters? It's actually one of my new favourite hobbies.' He grinned and I rolled my eyes.

'You're so irritating.'

'But you love me anyway, right?'

'Right.' I glared and he grinned, wrapping his arm around me and messing up my hair. I groaned, pulling away and trying to fix it. 'Are you coming to Lolly's birthday party at the palace next Saturday?'

'It's not like I have anything else to do.' He shrugged. 'Nice attempt at changing the subject by the way. Is Seb going to be your date?' I groaned. Someone else knocked on the door. 'Come on in!' Phillip called out cheerily as I glared at him.

'Oh, sorry.' Seb apologised when he saw me giving my brother eagerly. 'Did I interrupt some sibling bonding time?'

'Not at all.' Phillip smiled. 'In fact we were just speaking about you.' I smacked him. Pretty damn hard too.

I was surprised to find frost on my window when I opened the curtains the following day and it felt a little warmer then it had the last few days in Bergen. I felt like it was going to be a good day. Over breakfast, the King and Queen announced that they were visiting a school in the area so they would send some security guards with us wherever we wanted to go. But then, breakfast was interrupted and the head of security was speaking to the Queen in a language I didn't understand, waving his arms around frantically. The King and Queen glanced my way and I swallowed. What had happened? Had they seen Ezra?

'Sky, can we speak to you for a moment?' King Aleksander said and I nodded mutely, following them out of the room. I sat down on the sofa in the library, across from them, whilst a woman I didn't recognise spoke to security and the King and Queen in Norwegian. I suddenly wished that Seb had taught me some more of the language. The King nodded and he clasped his hands together, turning back to face me.

'What's going on?' I asked nervously, my heart thudding against my ribcage.

'Someone has leaked some information to the press.' Aleksander replied, calmly. 'Who knew you were in Norway?'

I blinked. 'My adoptive parents and my friends Lucy, Zoe and Tina... but they wouldn't tell _anyone._ '

He revealed a Norwegian paper. I didn't know what it said, but I was on the front cover; a still from my announcement with Seb that we were both alive and well, my cut visible on my forehead. I swallowed.

'Are you sure there wasn't anyone else you told Sky?' Queen Elena asked, her eyes concerned.

Then it dawned on me. Zed. I'd told Zed and forty-eight hours later it had made headlines. He wouldn't, would he? But then Savannah on the other hand. My shoulders tensed as my blood boiled. How could she? 'I told my lab partner.' My voice croaked. 'But I don't think he would tell the press. Maybe his girlfriend...' I frowned. 'I don't know though.'

'What is your lab partner's name?' The King asked. 'We will need our lawyers to speak to him. This is a serious matter.' I glanced up and saw that Seb was stood in the doorway, listening in. The King said something to him in Norwegian and Seb's face looked concerned.

'Zed Benedict.' His voice came out like a whisper and in that moment his betrayal ran deeper than leading me on. Now he'd risked my safety too.

'We will deal with this so try not to worry.' Elena said to me. 'Seb, why don't you take Sky and the others out for the day? There's no point hiding now they know you're in the country. We'll just have to send extra security with you.'

Seb nodded and I looked at the name the King had written down and my heart sank. I didn't know much about soulfinders, but Zed had said they were like soulmates. And soulmates definitely weren't supposed to hurt each other or put each other at risk, were they? How could I have been so stupid?

'Zed Benedict was the reason you were upset, wasn't he?' Seb's voice took me by surprise as I pulled a warmer jumper and some jeans out of the wardrobe in my bedroom, ready to layer up for a day out in the snow. I sighed and looked over at Seb, giving a small nod. 'Is he your boyfriend?'

'No.' I shook my head. 'I thought he was once, though. Now I'm pretty sure I was just another girl.' I turned back to my wardrobe and he walked into my room, closing the door.

'You deserve someone who would move mountains for you... travel across oceans for you... someone who doesn't treat you just like you're another girl, because you're not Sky, you're incredible.'

I looked across at him and gave a small smile. 'Thanks, but I'm not sure that's even possible in real-life. You've watched too much Disney. I think I have too.'

'It is possible.' He ran a hand through my hair. 'You said you hadn't been in love before, when we were back in Italy.'

'I haven't.' I replied, folding my arms across my chest.

'What happened with Zed?'

And for some reason, I found myself calmly telling him everything. How Zed had been obnoxious and jealous when I'd been with Marcus. How Zed had been a badboy and the press had picked him up on it when he'd been signed with _Seven Minutes in Heaven._ How we'd gone to Morzine with his family and how things had seemed great until someone had tried to shoot me. How we'd seen each other in secret despite my father trying to stop us from being together. And how we'd argued before the kidnapping and he'd been distant. And then I told him about the conversation that had upset me and made me angry and he'd frowned and said that Zed was an idiot and I deserved better. But I wasn't sure that I did.

We ended up taking the funicular, a tram, to the top of Mount Floyen. The journey up to the mountain 320m above sea level was quick and the four of us, plus six security guards, found ourselves overlooking beautiful Bergen, where the sun had only just risen thanks to the short days in winter. The city below us looked cold with its grey lakes, white sky and multi-coloured buildings within the valley. I sank onto a rock and looked at the view below in awe, snapping a few pictures on my phone as my breath came out as steam in the cool air.

'It's nice and calm, isn't it?' Seb commented from beside me. I nodded with a small smile.

'It's not that calm when you're down there.' Lolly chuckled.

'We'll head down there and grab some lunch later, if you'd like?' Seb suggested.

'Sounds good.' I smiled as my brother nodded from the other side of me.

We spent a good two hours up in the heavens, walking through the snow and following the trails, admiring all of the beautiful views of Norway and the fjords as Lolly and Seb told us tales of trolls, the creatures that seemed to have sculptures in their honor throughout the woodland trails we walked. Then we headed back down the mountain into Bergen (or Bryggen as the Nords called it) and I found myself amongst multi-coloured buildings in the harbour, buildings of white, red, orange and yellow, contrasted with the cold water and the snow on the ground. A few buildings were made from brick with coloured window frames and patterns in the brickwork, others were made from slats and were traditional Scandinavian-looking houses. We walked along wooden decking and then along cobblestones and I really had to concentrate to not slip over, despite having good grips on my snowboots.

'Your highness!' A woman with a small child curtsied in front of Seb and we stopped in our tracks as the security guards looked alert.

'Good afternoon.' Seb replied cheerily and formally.

'An honor to meet you!' She said and he held out his hand for her, shaking it. 'Would you believe it? I come to pick up some fish for lunch and I meet the future King of Norway!' And then she reverted to speaking in Norwegian and I looked at Lolly, questionnably. She simply shrugged. The conversation lasted about ten minutes, but we ended up being surrounded my excited members of the public and tourists who had arrived on their cruiseships, snapping away photos of us as Phillip and I simply just smiled, a royal rehearsed smile. In the end, our security guards moved people along and we found ourselves in a little tucked away restaurant, placed at the back thanks to the kind owners.

'Well that was crazy.' I commented as I picked up the menu. I squinted at the Norwegian, recognising the odd word but not enough to order.

'No rest for royalty, dear sis.' Phillip chuckled beside me. 'I thought by now you'd have realised that.'

'Doesn't make it less crazy.' I shrugged. 'I'm surprised you weren't signing autographs.'

'There were a lot of photos, though.' He winced.

'Reinsdyr?' I tried reading the menu and Lolly laughed at my attempt of a Norwegian accent. I stuck my tongue out in response, probably not the most princessy thing I could have done in public but never mind.

'Reindeer.' Phillip said beside me and I glanced at him in surprise. 'What? This isn't my first time in Norway, you know.'

I ended up eating fish with boiled potatoes and vegetables and it was delicious. I even tried some of Lolly's reindeer which was equally delicious.

I was waiting for Seb's normal nightcall that night in my pyjamas when something popped up on my Facebook timeline that made my hairs stand on end; _Zed Benedict is in a relationship with Savannah..._

I didn't finish reading and I slammed the laptop lid closed, irritatedly, just as the door slowly opened. Seb stood there in ski trousers and a warm-looking jumper and I raised my eyebrows. 'Were you cold in bed last night?'

He gave me a cheeky smile. 'Of course not. We're going out!'

'Out?' I squinted, reading the time on the clock. 'It's nearly midnight.'

'And the Northern Lights are visible not far from here.' He looked excited. 'Are you coming?'

My insides buzzed with excitement. 'Give me five minutes.'

Wrapped up in as many layers as possible plus a hat, scarf and gloves, Seb helped me into a high, sleek silver 4x4 that I didn't recognise. He climbed in beside me, in the driver's seat, and two security guards climbed in behind us, three extras also jumping into another landrover we'd used before.

'Is this yours?' I asked Seb and he smiled, nodding.

'It's my baby, so be nice.' He said, turning the key and starting the ignition. 'Don't worry, I'm a good driver.'

'I don't doubt it.' I replied and he carefully drove out of the garage, his headlights lighting the way on the snow.

'Road conditions are good.' He commented and I squinted, looking at the road in front of us. It wasn't clear where the road ended and where the snow-covered grass began. It was all a white sheet of snow.

'If these are good road conditions, what are bad conditions?'

It was weird driving through the darkness and I probably would have been nervous if it hadn't been for Seb behind me, the company of security guards in our jeep and the jeep behind us, and for the soft music on the radio in a language I was becoming used to hearing. A song started up that sounded too upbeat and Seb frowned, changing the radio across to CD after muttering something about a stupid Eurovision song.

 _'This is the start of something beautiful_

 _This is the start of something new...'_

I sank into my seat, a smile on my face as Ed Sheeran's voice filled the car and Seb smiled beside me, singing along quietly under his breath. He squinted up at the sky every now and then as he drove and in the end, he turned off of the main road and down some quiet mountainside roads where there were no streetlights at all. Finally he stopped and he turned off the lights of the car, something which would make a great scene in a horror movie. 'The sky is clear.' He said to me as he took his keys out of the ignition. 'Let's see if we can spot them.' We climbed out of the car and I watched in surprise as he set up a tripod and a camera. 'Sometimes they're clearer through a camera lens.' He explained and I remembered the picture of the Northern Lights in his bedroom back at the house.

'Did you take the picture that's in your room?'

He gave a sheepish smile. 'Yeah.'

'Wow, Sally and Simon would be impressed. You're a good photographer and artist.' I smiled and his cheeks blushed red, probably not just from cold. I looked up at the night sky and was surprised by how many more stars were visible, just by being away from the city and in complete darkness. It was magical. Seb pointed out some constellations and we looked around, waiting to see any sign of the Northern lights.

Then he paused and pointed at a cloud. 'They're behind that!' He said, excitedly. 'Notice how the cloud is lighter than the others and has a greenish glow?' I nodded and I looked at the cloud, urging it to move. And ten minutes later, when I was starting to lose hope, it did.

I gasped as a green dancing ribbon flashed across the sky and then there were two of them visible, waving and dancing as they passed us. The brightness varied, but it was perfect and Seb quickly snapped some photos before coming to stand beside me, looking up in awe as it was the first time he'd seen them too. In that moment, I didn't mind that my nose was cold or that my eyes were watery from the cold wind. I'd stepped into a dream and I was looking at one of the wonders of the world.

'I've never seen anything so beautiful.' I whispered and Seb's hand squeezed mine but didn't let go. I gave him a shy smile, before looking up at the lights, worried they would vanish if I glanced away for too long.

 _ **Seb.**_

Even in the light of the Aurora, Sky was beautiful, her eyes glowing and appearing to change colour just like the night sky. Her arm was pressed against mine and I watched as she looked up in awe and wonder at the beauty overhead. She sighed, a content sigh and I relaxed, taking a risk; I placed my arm around her shoulder and she didn't pull away. She let me hold it there. What I really wanted in that moment was to kiss her. I'd wanted to kiss her for a while, but I was afraid. Afraid that I would ruin the wonderful friendship we had. She'd quickly become my very best friend and someone that I really didn't want to lose. Someone I wanted to keep safe. Someone whose life I would easily put before my own.

Her eyes flicked to mine and she caught me staring. 'What?'

'Nothing.' I said with a smile and she gave a small smile as a blush creeped across her cheeks. I had no idea who this Zed Benedict guy was, but I knew he was an idiot. To let Sky go, he had to be completely stupid. She was perfect; a beautiful, kind, ray of sunshine and even though she wasn't the crown princess, she would make a wonderful Queen.

Sky fell asleep as I drove us back home and I couldn't blame her; it was the early hours of the morning and it was 3.30am by the time we were inside the garage back at the house. I unclipped my seatbelt and climbed out of the car.

'Want me to carry her up to her bed, your highness?' Marius asked, signalling to sleeping Sky.

'It's okay, I can carry her upstairs.' I replied, knowing I'd probably be sleeping at her side once again, something that I was used to doing by now. 'Can you take the camera and tripod?'

'Of course, your highness.' He bowed and I threw him the car keys, before opening the car door and scooping out Sky into my arms. Her head rested against my shoulder and I smiled as I carried her out of the garage and up to her room.

'Seb?' Her voice was sleepy and I realised she'd woken up as we'd reached the top of the stairs. 'Are we back at the house?'

'We are.' I confirmed softly and I carefully pushed open her door, taking her inside her bedroom. I placed her down on the bed gently and her eyes fluttered open as she stretched.

'Did you just carry me from the car?'

'Mmhmm.' I smiled as her deep blue eyes met mine. 'Can you get ready for bed okay?' She nodded and I turned towards the door.

'Seb, can we sleep in your room tonight?'

My heart leapt in my chest. 'Of course.' She smiled, a smile that made me catch my breath. 'Meet you in there?'

When I emerged from the bathroom, Sky was already curled up on my bed in her pyjamas, reading something on her phone. I slid under the covers beside her and she yawned as I caught her scrolling through Facebook. 'Well it's official. Everyone knows I'm in Norway.'

'Good.' I smiled as she put down her phone and laid down beside me. I turned off the light as she rolled over, facing me in the dark.

'Good?'

'Well it means we don't have to hide you or the photos and now I can post photos of you sleeping.'

'What?' She gasped and I chuckled.

'I am joking.' I replied, running my fingers gently across her bare arm. 'I think our parents wouldn't be impressed and it would probably be front page news.'

'I seem to be front page news a lot these days.' She sighed and she nestled up to me, giving me heart palpitations. Not that I minded. 'Thank you for taking me to see the Northern Lights. It was perfect.'

'You're welcome.' I whispered. 'Now get some sleep.'

'Night night Seb.' She said softly, her breath tickling my bare neck.

'Goodnight.' I whispered and I kissed her gently on the forehead, the only move I was brave enough to make.

 _ **Sky**_

Our days in Norway seemed to pass by quickly and, before long, we were back in the city of Oslo, where the snow was almost gone. The night skies were less clear and all I had as a reminder of Bergen were the photos I'd captured on my phone and the ones I'd swiped off of Seb and Lolly's Facebook from their cameras. My phone buzzed beside me as I was tagged in photos from our trip as I laid in bed on the morning of meeting my tutor for the first time. Seb and I hadn't shared a bed that night because he'd gotten up early for a meeting with his father; something to do with crown prince business apparently. I'd definitely missed having his warmth beside me and my mind had drifted off to places I didn't want it to go, places that scared me. My phone showed I'd been tagged in an Instagram photo by Lolly so I opened it up carefully, surprised that she too was awake.

The photo was of Seb, Phillip, Lolly and I at the top of the mountain, beautiful Bergen in the background and the four of us smiling.

 _Had the best time in Bergen with princesebastienII , hrhprincesssky and hrhprincephillip . How's this for a royal photo?_

I liked the picture and was surprised that a few thousand others already had and the comments were adding up. Then I was tagged in another Instagram photo, this time by Seb. I opened the picture and gawped.

It was a picture of me with the Northern Lights behind me, my smile genuine as I looked up at them. It was completely unposed but so very pretty at the same time. Seb was a great photographer, that much was clear, and the sky had a green glowing ribbon across it, just as vivid as I remembered.

 _I've seen the Northern Lights so many times but this time was even more beautiful hrhprincessky_

I swallowed. Did he mean me or the lights or both? I mentally swatted myself. Of course he meant the lights. They were clear as day as so very beautiful. But then there were the 3,452 likes and the 234 comments...

 _They are totally an item!_

 _I ship them!_

 _Seriously cute couple!_

 _Omg, Prince Sebastien and Princess Sky are so adorable!_

 _I love them!_

My cheeks flushed red and burnt as there was a knock at the door and in walked Lavine, a cheery smile on her face and a cup of tea in her hand. 'Good morning your highness.' She said with her thick accent, placing the cup of tea on my vintage coffee table.

'Lavine, lovely to see you.' I said as she curtsied. 'Did you have a nice week off?'

'It was very nice but it is good to see you too.' She walked over to the window and opened the curtains, the sun barely creeping up. 'There's no formal breakfast this morning as the King, Queen and Prince are out, but I can bring some breakfast up for when you have showered. What would you like?'

'Toast.'

She nodded. 'Of course.' She walked over to the door and paused, glancing over her shoulder. 'Ah, there appears to be a note by your door.'

'Oh?' She walked over and passed me an envelope, my name written in swirly writing on the front. She smiled and excused herself as I opened the envelope carefully. I pulled out the note and read it, a smile appearing on my face.

 _Sky,_

 _I hope that you slept okay without my company. Good luck with your first day of being home-schooled and I hope to see you when I am home later. Thought you might want to see these._

 _Yours,_

 _Seb_

Inside the envelope were some printed photos and my heart felt warm as I looked at them. He'd captured perfect pictures of the Northern Lights and inside was even the one of me from Instagram, the one which I knew was going to become my new Facebook picture. Then there was a picture of us, one I hadn't realised had been taken. The two of us were stood, smiling and looking full of wonder at the Northern Lights, his arm draped around my shoulder. I swallowed and put the pictures down. It was a cute picture, but we looked like a couple and clearly people thought that too, didn't they? But I couldn't even think about a relationship after Zed had changed his mind. It was too much of a risk; giving your heart and soul to someone and then them getting bored and throwing you to the curb. A tear rolled down my cheek. I didn't want a boyfriend if it meant getting hurt again.


	24. Nothing's gonna hurt me

Somehow I managed to avoid Seb right up until Lolly's birthday on the Saturday. He'd been busy going to charity events, attending council and parliament meetings and other crown prince events, and I'd been busy being tutored with Lolly, completing homework and assignments to send back to school in England, and even helping her prepare for her party. She woke me up on her birthday. Early and eager to open her presents and start the day.

I groaned as she jumped on my bed like a small child, instead of the seventeen she was turning. 'Really, Lolly?'

'You're not a morning person, are you?' She giggled in her accent and I buried myself under my duvet cover, only to have it ripped off. I'd not slept well as it is. I'd dreamt that Ezra had come to the palace in the middle of the night, kidnapping me again and it had made me so paranoid that I'd spent the night under the covers, trying to catch up on _Reign_ , indulging in Francis and Mary's love affair.

'It's eight in the morning on a Saturday. I wanted a lie-in after getting up for school.'

'But it's my birthday!'

'Fine! I'm up!' I pushed myself up and she beamed as she adjusted the robe she wore around her nightgown.

'I'm going to shower and when I come back, you'll be dressed, right?'

'Yes bossy boots, I'll be dressed.'

Lavine helped me cover my dark bags with foundation and she plaited my hair for me as I drank tea after my shower, which I was thankful for. She didn't ask if I'd slept well as it was obvious I hadn't, but she didn't push me to explain why either. I knew that she was aware that Seb and I had shared a bed when we slept a few times before, but she never commented on it. She kept it to herself and din't once bat an eyelid, which I was grateful for. She excused herself when Lolly reappeared in a pink dress and heels, despite the time.

'I want to look my best on my birthday.' She explained with a smile. 'Now come on, birthday breakfast time!'

Seb wasn't there, which was weird, but Lolly said he'd gone to complete voluntary work at an orphanage as he often did on a Saturday. I was relieved in a way, because I had been avoiding him and I was able to relax and enjoy the delicious cooked breakfast and cakes with the King, Queen, Lolly and my brother instead. We retired to a reception room after breakfast, a room filled with perfectly wrapped presents of all shapes and sizes. Despite having loads of presents, it didn't take Lolly long to unwrap them. New dresses, jewellery, family heirlooms, books, dvds a new laptop...

'You didn't have to get me anything.' Lolly said, picking up the pink parcel I had wrapped the night before. She ran her fingers across the paper.

'I wanted to.' I smiled.

Lolly carefully tore the paper off, revealing a Tiffany-blue box with a cream ribbon holding it closed. She untied the ribbon and then lifted the lid of the box, gasping. 'Sky!' Inside was a pair of pink and white striped pyjamas with Lolly embroidered onto the pocket, an eye mask with embroidered eyelashes attached and a pearl necklace. 'It's perfect and so Audrey!' She pounced on me, wrapping her arms tightly around me as she hugged me and I laughed. 'Thank you so much!'

'You're welcome.' I replied as she let me breathe again. She glanced at the last package, which looked like a shoebox.

'Your brother said to go and open his present.' Queen Elena said to her daughter. 'He might be a few minutes late for your party and you'll need the present for that.'

I knew what it was. I'd helped him pick them out. Lolly picked up the box, reading the message on the tag before opening it. Inside the sea of tissue paper were the shoes I'd helped him choose; silver heeled rhinestone-covered shoes with a blue sparkling butterfly at the front of each one. My friend gawped. 'They're Cinderella shoes. But how did Seb...' She looked at her mother who shook her head and then to me. 'Sky...'

'I might have helped a little.' I said with a blush. 'But there were a few designs and these were the ones Seb chose.'

'They're perfect!' She pulled them out and put them on over her tights, admiring the glint as the light hit them. 'Just perfect!'

We spent the morning helping turn the smaller ballroom into a club-style venue with funky modern looking sofas and cube-shaped chairs, glass coffee tables and bar stools around the mocktail bar. We hung lanterns from the ceiling as well as helium-filled balloons. The DJ came early and set up too, as did the people with the photobooth, and by 2pm, things were sorted and Lolly was more relaxed.

'Lolly!' Two girls appeared in the dining room as we finished our cooked lunch, filling ourselves up before the party food we'd be snacking on that night. The girls, one a red head and one blonde, were both tall and slim and _very_ pretty.

'Anna! Kar!' Lolly stood up, nearly taking the table with her, and ran towards the girls, embracing them and kissing them each on the cheek. 'Det er så godt å se deg.' _It's so good to see you,_ I worked out. I finished my mouthful and smiled nervously at the girls I'd never seen before, but I'd heard a fair bit about. I knew that Karolina was Seb and Lolly's cousin and she was a few years older than Lolly and I, the same age as Seb. And Anna was Lolly's best friend from childhood. 'Girls, this is Sky, Sky, Anna and Kar.' Lolly introduced us and I stood up as the girls both embraced me in a hug.

'So good to meet you.' Karolina said through her accent, which somehow seemed thicker than Seb and Lolly's.

'We have heard many things about you.' Anna added.

'All good I hope?'

'Of course.' Anna smiled.

'Have you girls been to your rooms?' Lolly asked.

'No but Marius was taking our things to the suites.' Karolina replied, running a hand through her shoulder-length waves. 'And he said to tell you that the beauticians are here.'

Lolly looked at me and grinned. 'Perfect.'

It was like being home in England in the palace. Beauticians gave us facials, waxed arms, underarms and eyebrows. Gave us manicures, gave us pedicures, and gossiped about stuff they'd seen on the telly, whilst Karolina plugged in her iPod, blaring out her favourite tunes. All of which, thankfully, were English or American songs that I knew.

'So how come you've been avoiding Seb?' Lolly said to me as my nails were painted. I stiffened as Karolina and Anna grinned across at me.

'I've not been avoiding him.' I lied and Lolly rolled her eyes.

'Yeah, right.'

'What haven't you said?' Karolina glanced at Lolly and then back at me. 'I thought something was going on because I've seen Seb's Instagram, but I wasn't sure.'

I blushed and looked down at my lap, avoiding any prying eyes. 'Well,' Lolly replied, 'Seb is totally into Sky, even if she denies it.' She nudged me with her foot, her toes separated by those hideous foam seperators. 'I've not seen my brother ever look at a girl like that or be that protective over _anyone.'_ I looked up and she gave me a smile. 'You guys would be a cute couple.'

'Agreed.' Anna nodded and my cheeks blushed more.

'I don't want a boyfriend right now.' I told her, examining my painted nails. 'Guys just let you down.' Someone in the room sighed, but I wasn't sure who.

'Not all men.' Karolina said. 'Only those not mature enough.'

'I think my brother can be an idiot sometimes, but he wouldn't hurt you, Sky.' Lolly piped up but I didn't say anything. Zed filled my mind and I flinched. 'Anyway, enough about Seb and Sky,' she changed the subject and I was grateful, 'what are your dresses like for tonight?'

I was a little nervous in my outfit. I was so used to wearing ballgowns now for parties, dresses that covered my short legs, and now I was stood wearing a light blue bodycon silk dress that fell halfway up my thigh. It had lace detailing over the shoulders and to the sweatheart neckline, around the waist to give me an hourglass figure and then around the bottom of the dress. It was gorgeous but short, and that made me feel concerned. Was it slutty? I looked at the sparkly silver heels with bow-detailing that were on my feet, making my legs a little longer, as Karolina, Anna and Lolly appeared behind me, trying to see in the mirror. Anna and Karolina looked gorgeous, both wearing short black dresses in different styles and then Lolly looked the perfect birthday girl in a white bodycon dress with sparkly detailing on the bust and her new shoes. She flicked her blonde curls over her shoulder and it drew attention to my hair; my curls were now pin-straight and my make-up was sparkly, making my eyes glitter too. I pulled at my dress and Lolly squeezed my arm.

'You look great Sky.' She told me and her two friends nodded in agreement.

'Is the dress too short?' I asked, feeling paranoid.

'Of course not. It actually makes your legs look longer.' She smiled.

'Thanks.' I said, gratefully. 'You look great too.'

'Love the shoes!' Anna said, admiring the Cinderella heels.

'Takk.' Lolly smiled. 'Seb and Sky chose them.'

Karolina looked surprised for a moment, but then her surprised expression turned to a smile. 'Well they look lovely on you. Okay, it's showtime, are you ready?'

Lolly adjusted her dangling diamond earrings. 'As I'll ever be.'

When we reached the ballroom, guests were already inside, teenagers and young adults from all kinds of backgrounds wearing cocktail dresses or shirts with formal trousers and ties. The King and Queen weren't around and I realised they'd kept their word; they'd promised to let Lolly enjoy her night and not embarass her. _Radioactive_ by Imagine Dragons filled the speakers as we walked in, in a long line like a girlband or something. Seeing all of the faces I didn't recognise made me nervous, but I let out a sigh of relief when I saw my brother talking to a guy I didn't recognise.

'Dear sister, looking lovely as ever.' Phillip said, cheerfully, kissing me on the cheek.

'I guess you look alright.' I teased.

'More than alright if you ask Tina.' He grinned and I rolled my eyes.

'She fancies any guy with pretty eyes, brother. Don't go thinking you're special.'

He smiled and turned to Lolly, kissing her cheek. 'Happy birthday. Quite the nightclub you have in the palace.'

'It looks great doesn't it?!' She beamed. 'Maybe we should keep it like this!'

'We can propose the idea to your parents tomorrow.' Phillip chuckled as a girl appeared at his side, practically swooning. I rolled my eyes and the girl looked at me, as if trying to work out where she'd seen me before.

I didn't say anything to her, but I turned to Lolly. 'I don't suppose your mocktail bar serves alcohol.'

'Could you imagine the headlines? Teenagers get drunk at Royal Party? Ha! Come on, let's get a mocktail.' She said, looping her arm through mine. 'And you must meet some people.'

Lolly knew a lot of people, but I guess that came with being a princess. There were nobles there, a few teenage celebrities Lolly was friends with, distant teenage relatives and then people she knew from when she had been at school, before her parents had decided that homeschooling was safer. Everyone danced on the dancefloor, bodies jumping up and down and hands in the air as the DJ played remixes of dance music, some old and some new. I sipped at my cocktail, my eyes on the door, aware that Seb would turn up at some point and I'd have to face him. What would I say? Would I admit I'd been avoiding him because I didn't want a relationship? Because being hurt again was too much of a risk? Because I didn't want to risk up the friendship we had? Or because I knew Zed was possibly my soulfinder, supposedly, and that wasn't going to just disappear.

 _'Midnight,_

 _You come and pick me up, no headlights.'_

Lolly held my hand and we danced together in time to the music, bouncing and moving our hips.

 _'A long drive,_

 _Could end in burning flames or paradise_

 _Fade into view, oh, it's been a while since I have even heard from you.'_

I twirled Lolly around and she laughed as she almost bumped into Karolina as we sang along to Taylor Swift.

 _'I should just tell you to leave 'cause I_

 _Know exactly where it leads but I_

 _Watch us go 'round and 'round each time.'_

My thoughts drifted to Zoe, Tina and Lucy, who I knew were going to someone from Science class' birthday party that evening. The pictures were probably going to be on Facebook of the three of them glammed up and having fun and I missed our silly dance moves and singing along together.

 _'You got that James Dean daydream look in your eye_

 _And I got that red lip classic thing that you like.'_

What was I worrying about? They were having fun and so was I? I moved my body in time to the beat and smiled across at Lolly, the Norwegian princess that was starting to seem more like a sister than a friend.

 _'And when we go crashing down, we come back every time_

 _'Cause we never go out of style_

 _We never go out of style.'_

I danced, turning to the side, and then I saw him; Seb. His messy blonde hair was falling a little over his forehead and his eyes were watching me as he gave me a cute, small smile in greeting. Tina's nickname, Prince Yummy, filled my mind as I took in his appearance; slim-fit black trousers, a white shirt with rolled-up sleeves and a light blue tie that matched my dress. I turned back to Lolly, but I'd been caught. Anna and Karolina were both smirking and Lolly was smiling at me, cheekily.

 _'So it goes_

 _He can't keep his wild eyes on the road_

 _Takes me home_

 _Lights are off, he's taking off his coat, hmm, yeah._

 _I say, "I heard, oh, that you've been out and about with some other girl, some other girl."'_

Seb reached us through the crowd and Lolly hugged him, saying something in Norwegian that I didn't understand, a smile on her face. He looked down at her shoes and smiled. 'I had some help.'

'I guessed.' Lolly replied. Seb greeted Karolina and Anna with a kiss on the cheek and some polite Norwegian smalltalk, before turning to me.

I bit my lip and caught his eyes flicker to my mouth before back up to my eyes. 'Hey.' I said, the greeting coming out as really awkward. I tried not to visibly cringe at how lame I sounded.

'Hey.' He replied, a small smile forming on his lips.

'I'm going to get a drink! Girls?' Lolly said, not so subtly, and Seb rolled his eyes as his sister pulled away Anna and Karolina, leaving me alone with Seb. Thanks Lolly. Thanks a lot. It was too rude to go after her, even though I was panicking, desperately wanting a way out, but I only knew Lolly, Karolina and Anna and they were in on it, and my brother was dancing with some girl I didn't recognise, across the room.

 _'You got that James Dean daydream look in your eye_

 _And I got that red lip classic thing that you like.'_

'I feel like I've not seen you in years.' He said, breaking the silence between us. 'You look lovely by the way. You always do but tonight there's something different... beautiful with maybe a hint of sexy.'

I swallowed. Zed had said that to me before. 'Thank you.' I said, my voice uneven and my cheeks blushing pink.

'I like your hair like this.' He commented. 'But then I think I like it curly better.' He gave a small smile and I fiddled with my fingers nervously. 'Did you like the photographs?'

'You're a very talented photographer.' I said, honestly, a small smile on his lips.

'It's alright for a hobby I suppose.' He shrugged as _Lay It All on Me_ started playing through the speakers. 'Would you dance with me?' My heart thumped and I swallowed, feeling nervous. I wanted to. He was a good dancer and I didn't want to upset him, but then wasn't I supposed to be putting distance between us.

I listened to my heart and cursed myself for it. 'Sure.'

 _'All alone as you look through the door_

 _Nothing left to see.'_

He placed his hands on my hips and I placed my hands on his shoulders, able to reach them easily in my heels, which were surprisingly comfy.

 _'If it hurts and you can't take no more_

 _Lay it all on me.'_

We moved in time to the music, my hips moving as we stepped quickly, a different dance to the dance we were used to and the closeness making me nervous as he looked down at me, a cute lopsided smile on his face. What was wrong with me? Why did I have to be so damn hormonal and why were there suddenly loads of cute guys in my life, some of which had paid attention to me over the last few months? Was it because I was a princess?

 _'No you don't have to keep it under lock and key_

 _Cause I will never let you down_

 _And if you can't escape all your uncertainties_

 _Baby I can show you how.'_

'How is your tutoring coming along?' Seb asked, distracting me from the music. I stumbled, cursing and he caught me, placing his hand on the small of my back.

'It's coming along ago.'

'And your Norwegian?' He grinned.

'I worked out some of what Lolly and Karolina were saying earlier.' I replied, the smile contagious.

'Impressive.' His voice was just above a whisper as he placed both hands back on my hips, pulling me closer to him. Our chests were touching and other parts of our body almost were too. 'Sky, jeg har savnet deg.'

His eyes met mine. 'You missed me? Really?'

He looked surprised I'd understood what he said and he nodded, a small, shy smile on his lips. 'It seems that in this short time you've become quite important to me.'

'Oh?' I needed Lolly to come and save me now. I felt nervous. Panicked.

'I think you've sort of become my best friend.' He said the words easily and I knew he meant them. I relaxed a little. Friends? So we were on the same page? 'I hope that's not weird.' He added, nervously.

'Not at all.' I replied as he started moving me in time to the music again. 'I guess you've sort of become my best friend too.' I teased, but his face remained serious as his eyes moved, taking in my body, my face, and then my eyes again.

 _'My girlfriend's bitchin' 'cause I always sleep in_

 _She's always screamin' when she's calling her friend.'_

I stopped moving and wrinkled my nose at the _Seven minutes in heaven_ song as Zed's voice filled the room. Seb stopped dancing and one of his hands moved to caress my cheek. 'Zed?' He asked and I simply nodded.

'Figures. I think they're doing really well in the music charts at the moment.'

He looked at me with an expression I just couldn't read. 'Want to get a drink?'

'Sure.'

Seb led me to the mocktail bar, greeting a pretty slim girl with killer legs. Luckily, as he spoke to her, I grabbed Lolly, wishing suddenly that I could have a Sex on the Beach or something with strong alcohol in it.

'Are you okay?' She asked, seeing panic in my eyes.

'Why did you leave me alone with Seb?' I hissed as Karolina and Anna sang along to the song behind her.

'Because you've been avoiding him and you needed to talk to him.' Lolly paused, giving me a sympathetic look. 'I know there's stuff that's been going on that you haven't told me and I'm going to guess that it involves a boy... but Seb isn't like that. He isn't going to hurt you.'

I sighed and sipped my drink, turning to face Seb. Pretty brunette was stroking his arm and I raised my eyebrows, looking back at Lolly. 'Really?'

'Ugh, that's Kat.' She said, her voice irritated. 'Seb's ex-girlfriend, but don't worry they are _so_ over.'

'It doesn't look that way.' I whispered, quietly, watching the brunette fluttering her eyelashes as she spoke to him.

'Seb broke up with her last year.' Lolly explained. 'Kat liked the fame of dating a crown prince but I don't think she actually loved my brother. My parents never liked her and neither did I.' Her frown turned into a smile. 'Kat, _hallo.'_ She said as the brunette we'd just slagged off appeared, kissing Lolly once on each cheek.

'Gratulerer med dagen.' Kat said, wishing Lolly happy birthday in Norwegian. She turned to face me, eyeballing me.

'Kat, this is her royal highness princess Sky.' Seb said from beside Kat, introducing me. 'Sky, this is our childhood friend, Kat.'

Kat looked at me, warily, and she had what Tina would call a 'resting bitch face.' She reached out, holding Seb's arm and he tensed. 'Sebastien and I actually are more than just friends.' I noticed the use of his full name and her use of the present tense.

'Well we _used_ to date.' Seb said awkwardly and Kat flinched. She tried to hide her surprise with a smile and she flicked her curled waist-length hair over her shoulder.

'That's not to say that we can't date again.' Kat said, turning to face him, her breasts almost against his arm. My stomach twisted and I wondered why. 'Sebastien, dance with me.'

It reminded me of Zed. It was a command, not a question. Seb looked at Lolly and then at me, before giving into Kat. He nodded and she led him to the dancefloor.

'Why is my brother _such_ an idiot?' Lolly exasperated.

'See, we're just friends.' I told her, ignoring the queasey feeling in my stomach. What was wrong with me?

 _'I came here with a broken heart that no one else could see_

 _I drew a smile on my face to paper over me_

 _But wounds heal and tears dry and cracks they don't show_

 _So don't be so hard on yourself, no.'_

'Forget my idiot of a brother.' Lolly said, holding her hand out for me. 'Tonight is about me dancing with my fabulous, sexy ladies!' Karolina and Anna giggled as we were all pulled to the dancefloor.

The music was good and dance-worthy, and every now and then girls or guys would come and join our little group as we danced. Who needed alcohol? I was starting to relax a little, although part of me wondered if it was because I was completely high on sugar. We danced to Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and then some other hits I recognised from sometimes listening to Radio 1. After Lolly blew out the candles of her grand layered cake, she pulled me off to the photobooth and we posed with feather boas, stupid looks on our faces in the little box, all of my cares out of the window for a few hours.

'I am having _the_ best time!' She said as she pulled me out of the booth, giggling. 'This is the best birthday _ever._ '

I climbed out, walking straight into Seb, who seemed to have been lost in the crowd for the last two hours. 'Sorry.' I apologised, feeling awkward.

'It's okay.' He gave a shy smile. He turned to Lolly. 'Are you having a good time?'

'Yes.' She nodded. She looked at me, giving me a reassuring smile. 'Let's go get a drink Sky.'

'I was hoping maybe you'd join me in the photobooth.' Seb said, his eyes reflecting his hopefulness.

'I don't know if I can let you steal my dance partner.' Lolly said to her brother, a playful smile on her face. 'I mean, she's got the best dance moves in here.'

'What about Kar and Anna?'

'What about Kat?' I raised my eyebrows and folded my arms across my chest at the same time as Lolly.

Seb looked hurt and he ran a hand through his hair, awkwardly. 'Kat and I broke up a _long_ time ago.'

'Yet you danced with her.' Lolly pointed out. She didn't look impressed with her brother and I was grateful she was sticking up for me.

'Out of politeness. You know what she's like Lol...' He turned to me, his eyes sad. 'I'm sorry if it upset you Sky.'

'Upset me? Of course not.' I said, perhaps a little too quickly. My heart sank and my stomach twisted as I said it. I mentally slapped myself. I was being an idiot. Of course I wasn't upset.

Seb's brows furrowed and he turned to his sister. 'Can I talk to Sky? Please?'

Lolly glanced at me, waiting for me to respond, but I was busy trying to act calm and cool. I shrugged and she gave her brother a wary look. 'Fine, but ruin this night and I will kill you.' She walked off, cautiously, and I shifted, uncomfortably, stepping aside as a group of girls slid into the photobooth, pulling the curtain closed behind them.

'Don't take this the wrong way, but you've not been acting kind of... weird the past few days.' He said, tucking his hands into his pockets.

'No I haven't.' I lied, frowning.

'Sky, you think I don't know you, but I know you better than you think.' He took a step closer to me, his eyes locking on mine. 'I know why you're avoiding me... you think I'm just like Zed, don't you?'

 _'Throw your heart to me_

 _Let it fall and hit the ground_

 _Let it go.'_

'I'm sorry but in my experience, guys are cruel.'

 _'Your timing was so wrong_

 _I just want to be found.'_

'Not all of us.' His face turned sad. 'Sky, please stop pushing me away. I want to be a part of your life. I want to be there for you, be someone you can talk to when you're upset, keep you safe.' He reached out, stroking my arm gently with his fingers. 'I know you're afraid.' I opened my mouth to interrupt but he cut in. 'Don't deny it, you don't need to pretend for me. I know when you're not telling the truth. You avoid my eyes.' He gave a small smile.

 _'Oh, it's brighter this time_

 _This type of mine.'_

'I'm sorry.' I sighed, looking up to Seb. 'I shouldn't have pushed you away. We've been through a lot together and you're great.'

 _'This disguise_

 _Oh, you talk, ooh, to me.'_

'Not so bad yourself.' He smiled as the girls came out of the photobooth. 'So, will you join me for a photo or have I got to pose solo?'

 _'Well, nothing's gonna hurt me with my eyes shut_

 _I can see through them_

 _I can see through them.'_

I laughed and took his hand, pulling him inside the photobooth with its patterned walls and props. He pulled the curtain closed and I put a hand on his head and then a tiara on mine and we made stupid faces, changing poses and props as we did so. I pulled the hat off of his head and froze when I realised that his eyes were staring into mine.

 _'I am drawing pictures I'm evading_

 _I will not use them_

 _I will not use them_

 _Again.'_

And then Seb's lips were on mine in a gentle kiss, a kiss where we were barely touching, but it was just enough to make my lips tingle. It only lasted a few seconds and then he moved his head back, his eyes searching mine. 'Sorry, I really wanted to do that.' He apologised. 'I should have asked permission.'

I blushed, realising that the camera probably had caught that single, innocent kiss. The one that was making me feel confused and questionning want I wanted. I thought of Marcus and how he'd chosen work over me. Then I thought about Zed and how he'd gone back to Savannah, the girl he had years of history with, the girl who would do whatever he wanted her to do. Seb was right, he was different, but was I willing to give in and risk friendship with a Norwegian prince that would one day be in charge of a country?

'Thank god you're both still alive!' Lolly's head appeared through the curtain. 'Have you two made up now?' Seb nodded, a small smile on his lips that could give everything away. But then my blush could have given it away too. I slid off the stool and ran a hand through my straight hair. 'Sorry brother, but I'm going to need to take my dance partner back before Sven thinks he has the right to dance with me.'

I gave Seb a small smile and then I followed Lolly out of the photobooth, grabbing the photographic evidence and tucking it in my purse out of the way as we disappeared into the crowd.

I sat on the window seat in my floral pyjama short and vest set, the pretty ones with the lace around the bottom of the shorts and the top of the vest, that night, looking out at the quiet gardens below. The party had ended at midnight but still, at 1am, I was wide awake as Seb's kiss played back through my mind, as did the rest of the night. I wriggled my toes, glad to be out of heels and glad that the weather was warm enough to not have to wear a million layers, even indoors. I heard some talking in the corridor as some other guests, who were staying, passed my bedroom door and I hummed to myself, wishing I had a piano to play. I missed running my fingers over the keys and the tuneful sound it made, the relaxing feeling it created.

There was a knock at the door and I grabbed a blanket, pulling it over myself. 'Yes?' I called out.

The door opened and Seb stood there in his robe, plaid pyjama bottoms sticking out of the bottom. 'Still awake?' He said, surprised.

'You'd think I'd be tired but my body had other ideas I suppose.' I said with a small smile. He walked across the room and lifted my legs, sitting on the window seat and then putting my legs down across his lap.

'Too many mocktails.' He teased.

'At least it wasn't champagne, I guess.' I pulled the blanket off, my body feeling warm but I assumed it was probably because I was embarassed about the kiss. 'Seb, I-'

'Sorry for kissing you.' He whispered, looking away from the window and at me. 'I don't want to ruin our friendship.'

'Me neither.' I replied with a small smile. 'Because you're a really good friend.'

'You too.' He nodded. 'I guess I'd better let you go to bed.'

I wasn't sure why, but I didn't want him to go. Maybe because I slept better with him around and after a few nights of terrible sleep, I needed to sleep more than just two hours. 'Will you stay?'

He looked surprised but then he smiled and nodded. 'Of course.' He scooped me up, carrying me and I tried not to squeal, despite feeling worried he was going to drop me. He placed me carefully on the bed and I slid down under the covers as he climbed over me, taking off his robe and slipping into the bed beside me, his chest on show. He paused and I knew he'd spotted the photos from the photobooth, which sat on my bedside table. He didn't say anything. Instead, he laid down beside me, kissed my forehead as always, and fell asleep.

When I woke up the next morning, after sleeping and dreaming quite happily, Seb was spooning me, his arm wrapped tightly around my waist and his chest pressed against my back as his breath tickled my neck. I sighed, feeling warm and content, but then I jumped when an alarm sounded, an alarm that wasn't mine. Seb groaned from behind me, his hand leaving me for a moment whilst he turned off the alarm on his phone. Then he went back to spooning me.

'Do you need to be somewhere?' I asked.

'Trying to get rid of me?' He whispered, sleepily.

'Of course not.' I turned over, facing him and his hand reached out for my hair, tucking it behind my ear. 'I just don't want you to be late anywhere.'

He sighed. 'I'm going to the children's home for girls today. They're moving into a new building and I've been asked to go along and open it.'

'Ah, Royal duties.'

'I'd much rather stay here like this though.'

The door open and both of our eyes widened as Lavine strolled in. She paused when she saw us and curtsied. 'Oh sorry, your highnesses... I didn't realise you were here, my prince.'

'It's okay, Lavine.' He smiled, sitting up. 'I need to get up anyway. I have to be at the children's home in an hour and a half.' He grabbed his robe and my cheeks flushed red as the curtains were opened by Lavine, who had a grin on her face.

'Seb?' I said as he climbed out of bed.

'Yes?'

'Could I come with you today?'

A smile crept onto his lips, one that reached his eyes. 'Of course. It would be nice to have the company.'

'Great.' I smiled back.

'We'll leave in an hour.' He nodded and then he was gone.

When the door closed, I glanced over at Lavine and realised that whilst collecting my water glass, she'd spotted the photo reel from the photobooth, which displayed our jokey pictures and then one of us kissing. I quickly snatched it up, my cheeks red, and Lavine smiled at me. A knowing smile, as if saying _I told you so._

Lavine picked my outfit out whilst I showered, leaving my hair pin-straight as I'd washed it the previous afternoon before having it straightened. I applied some subtle make-up and wrestled my way into my black tights before pulling on the grey long-sleeved tube dress with black polka dots on it. With my black cardigan and a pearl necklace, it looked classy and sophisticated and perfect for a March day in Oslo. I ate breakfast alone, whilst flicking through Facebook photos of the party that Lucy, Tina and Zoe had been at the night before. Then Lucy's name popped up on messenger.

 _Lucy: Hey stranger!_

 _Me: Hey, how are you?_

 _Lucy: Hungover and missing you terribly! You?_

 _Me: I'm okay... not hungover but missing you. Party looks fun. Missed dancing with you last night._

 _Lucy: But you had Lolly and Seb right?_

 _Me: Yeah it was pretty good!_

 _Lucy: Any gossip on the Seb-front?_

 _Me: Gossip?_

 _Lucy: Don't play dumb with me, bff. He's totally into you!_

I paused, looking at the screen. I hated lying to her, but was it right to tell her that Seb and I had kissed?

Sensing my pause, she started calling me on Skype and I answered as I sipped my tea.

'You look particularly glammed up for a Sunday morning.' She commented and I realised she was still in her pyjamas, her hair tied back in a high ponytail. Zoe and Tina were there too, waving at me with tired and hungover faces.

'I'm going out for royal duties.' I replied with a small smile, hoping I'd not smudged the pinky lipstick on my teacup.

'With Sebastien?' Tina quizzed and I nodded. 'Knew it!'

'Spill!' Zoe added and Lucy raised her eyebrow as I blushed. 'And we can see you blushing. Your light is particularly good.'

'Did you kiss Prince yummy?' Tina asked.

'No.' I lied, but my intonation changed, my voice getting higher at the end of the word, giving me away.

'You liar!' Lucy scolded. 'Spill!'

I blushed and bit my lip, nervously. 'Okay, but it's just between us, alright?' They all nodded. 'He kissed me last night at the party but no one else saw.' I sighed and pulled the photo out of the top drawer of my bedside table. I held it up to the webcam, not sure how clear it was, but it was clear enough for Tina to squeal.

'Oh my god! I knew it!' She squealed and I put the photo back on top of the bedside drawer.

'So you like him?' Lucy asked, warily.

'What happened after?' Zoe pryed.

I wasn't about to tell them he'd stayed in my room as I knew they'd make a big deal out of it. And they would assume it wasn't innocent, like it was and had been every time we had shared a bed together. 'Nothing. I don't know what to do and I don't know where we stand.' I replied, most of it being true. 'I'm just not sure having a boyfriend is a good idea, you know?'

'Because of Marcus?' Tina said and Lucy looked down, knowing it wasn't just Marcus that had influenced my decision. 'Not all guys are heartbreakers and Seb seems like a good guy. Hold onto him.'

'But what if it ruins my friendship with him?'

'Sometimes we just have to take risks.' Lucy said with a small, reassuring smile. 'It worked for Nate and I.'

Oslo's Children's Home for Girls was a fifteen minute drive from the palace, across the city and by the water. The cream building with brown painted frames around the windows was on the corner of a quiet street, with a park opposite and flowerbeds lining the edge of the building, making it look like a happy and inviting place. Members of the press already waited outside, a large red ribbon across the door, and a group of girls in tea dresses and coats were stood with a few middle-aged women in skirts and smart jackets. Seb sat beside me, looking smart himself in a suit and tie, the perfect prince charming. I felt nervous as the car stopped outside and the driver got out, security already waiting for us on the pavement. It wasn't my event, but I hadn't actually been to an opening or event in over a month and it felt unusual to be doing so, especially in a country I didn't know, where they spoke a language I hardly knew. The car door opened on Seb's side and he got out, the cameras immediately starting to flash as the questions were asked. He turned back to face me, holding out his hand and I took it, getting out after him. Cue even more questions in Norwegian and even some in English, aimed at me. I wanted him to keep my hand in his, but he let go, guiding me with a hand on the small of my back towards where the girls between age four and eleven stood with the people I assumed owned the Home. They curtsied in turn and Seb, charming as always, greeted the workers with a handshake, speaking in Norwegian, and then turning to shake the hand of each and every young girl.

I did the same, starting with the women who clearly worked at the home. 'God morgen , er det en glede å møte deg.'

The blonde woman smiled, a genuine smile. 'Lovely to meet you too, Princess Sky.' She said in response, her accent thick. 'And perfect Norwegian too.'

I laughed softly. 'My Norwegian is getting better but I wouldn't say it was perfect yet.' I replied and a few members of the public and press laughed.

'Princess Sky is a fast learner.' Seb said from beside me and I shot him a grateful smile that he returned. I walked over to the girls, greeting them and shaking their hands, crouching down to their level.

'Oslo har mange prinsesser.' I said to them; _Oslo has a lot of princesses._

'Jeg er ikke en ekte prinsesse.' _I'm not a real princess, a_ young girl with spiral curly hair said and she reminded me a little of Liza, as she too had said she wasn't a _real_ princess.

I frowned, holding out my hand for her and she took it. 'You are _all_ princesses. All little girls are. Didn't anybody ever tell you that?'

One of the older girls, shook her head. 'If we were princesses then somebody would want to adopt us.'

It was heartbreaking and it made me feel so sad that they felt so little of themselves. 'Dere er alle vakre.' _You are all beautiful,_ I told them. 'And anybody would be lucky to have you as a daughter.' They didn't look sure and I knew what I needed to say, although my Norwegian wasn't strong enough for it. 'Prince Sebastien, I'd like to say some things to these girls and I'm not sure they all will understand my English, could you please translate for me?'

'Of course.' He gave a small smile and nodded.

I took a deep breath, aware that I was about to lay myself bare for the world, the press, but I didn't care. 'You might not all know this, but I have not always been a princess.' I paused to Seb could translate. 'I only found out I was a princess in September.' I took the hands of the two youngest girls as I spoke. 'Like you, I spent some time in a children's home back in England after my mother died and at the time the King didn't even know he had a daughter.' I fought back the tears in my eyes that often appeared when I spoke about my past. 'I didn't think anyone would ever want to adopt me but then Sally and Simon saw me one day and they decided they wanted me to be their daughter.' I smiled. 'And now I'm lucky because I have _four_ parents to look after me.' I squeezed the hands of the little girls as some of the other children looked at me in surprise, either understanding me or Seb. 'You're all beautiful and brave girls and I have no doubt that one day someone will adopt you.' I stood up and slowly, people started to applaud me, more and more doing so until everything was clapping. I blushed and one of the older girls looked at me, a smile on her face.

'Thank you.' She whispered.

Seb gave a speech about the Children's Home and the wonderful work it did before cutting the ribbon and then we were led inside and given a tour of the building. It was light and fresh with wooden floors, white walls and light rooms thanks to the large windows. They had two reception rooms, one with bookshelves and sofas, one with a large television, computers, and an air hockey table. There were plenty of bedrooms too, each designed for two girls; some had bunk beds and others had twin beds, all with light pink duvets, a desk, a wardrobe and two dressers. Then there was the large dining area with enough tables and chairs for everyone, food laid out that the girls were snacking on.

'Frozen! Elsa!' A young girl said to me, tugging my dress.

I bent down to her level and smiled. 'Do you like Frozen?' She looked at me puzzled and I paused, trying to think of the Norwegian. 'Liker du Frozen?'

'Synge!' She said, _sing._ 'Let it go, let it go...' Her little voice sang and I smiled. Of course that was the only English she knew. She pulled me off to the reception room, where a few other girls were playing airhockey. _'Let it go, let it go!'_

'Elzbieta!' One of the older girls laughed. 'She wants you to sing, your highness. She really likes Frozen and thinks you look like Elsa.'

'Well that's a compliment.' I smiled as the young girl, Elzbieta, pulled me onto the sofa beside her.

'Synge! Synge!' The little girl said again and I laughed.

'Okay.' I said and she smiled; the word was universal. _'The snow glows white on the mountain tonight, Not a footprint to be seen... A kingdom of isolation, And it looks like I'm the queen... The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside...Couldn't keep it in, heaven knows I tried!'_ The little girl clapped her hands and smiled as I continued to sing. _'Don't let them in, don't let them see, be the good girl you always have to be, Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know...Well, now they know!'_ A few other girls came and sat by me, some of the floor, some of the sofa and, surprising me, they sang the chorus with me.

 _'Let it go, let it go_

 _Can't hold it back anymore_

 _Let it go, let it go_

 _Turn away and slam the door!_

 _I don't care_

 _What they're going to say_

 _Let the storm rage on,_

 _The cold never bothered me anyway!'_

By the end of the song, we had an audience. Seb stood with some of the workers and members of the press, in the doorway. Photos were being taken and I blushed as the young girls clapped and the youngest one, Elzbieta, wrapped her arms around my neck, a big grin across her face. It had turned out to be a good day.

 _ **England.**_

Zed Benedict looked at the missed calls of Savannah, aware that the area code wasn't in England. Zed unlocked her phone and saw that the location said Norway. Why were Norway calling her? He put down her phone, the iPhone locking onto a selfie of them kissing just a week before hand. She returned to the bedroom wearing just one of his shirts, her frilly pink knickers peeking out underneath as she bent over, probably on purpose. He bit his lip, still wondering why she had four missed calls from Norway.

'Savannah?'

'Yes, babe?' She turned to face him, her eyes attempting to be innocent.

'Why do you have missed calls from Norway?'

'Why were you looking at my phone? Do you not trust me?' She stuck out her bottom lip.

'Of course.' He sighed, getting irritated. 'Are you talking to Sky?'

'No. The royal family keep calling, threatening to sue me or whatever because they think that I told the papers Sky was in Norway.' She rolled her eyes and Zed's heart leapt.

'And did you?'

'Of course not, babe. I've got better things to do than sell stories to the press.' She flicked her hair over her shoulder and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her slim body against his. 'Like keeping busy with you.'


	25. Feels like home to me

_**More Sky/Zed passion is on its way.. stay tuned!**_

'You were great today.' Seb said on the drive back to the palace late that evening. 'They loved you.'

'No one should feel unwanted.' I told him with a sad smile. My heart ached for those girls, but I hoped that having a nice, new, warm home might raise their spirits at least for a bit. And then the press coverage had to be good for them, didn't it?

'I completely agree.' His hand reached out for mine and he intertwined our fingers. 'And if Norway didn't love you before, they definitely will now.' He smiled, the smile reaching his eyes. 'Today you reminded me what being royalty is all about... helping others and helping them reach their dreams.' The car pulled into the garage and parked, the driver opening the door for me first. I stepped out, thanking him in Norwegian, and Seb walked beside me as we headed towards the stairs that led to the house. 'Your Norwegian is definitely getting better.' He added with a smile.

'Kan du si jeg har øvd?' I said, showing off a little.

He chuckled. 'I can tell you've practised, yes.' He lowered his voice. 'I have to say, it's quite attractive hearing you speak my home language.'

I blushed and looked down at my feet, hidden by the black court shoes I was wearing. Then I thought back to the feeling of his lips on mine and I blushed again.

'Sky!' Lolly practically tackled me as I reached my bedroom door after a quick dinner with Seb, as we'd missed the family dinner.

'Did you miss me?' She laughed.

'I was hoping you could hang out with Kar and Anna and I before they went but your guards said you'd gone into the city with Seb.' She frowned. 'I see my brother has taken my place.' It was a teasing comment I realised when she started to smile. 'Does this mean you're no longer avoiding each other?'

I opened my door and she followed me inside, closing the door behind us. 'Of course not.'

She practically skipped across my room, perching on my bed and turning on the laptop. 'I have to show you last night's pictures.' Then she froze and I cursed. The photobooth images sat on my bedside table and she'd spotted them. Busted. She picked them up, examining them, and her eyes widened at the last one. 'Something you want to tell me?'

'Erm... I...'

'I'm not mad, Sky, relax.' She said, a playful grin on her face. 'I've been waiting for it to happen! So what does this mean? Are you two an item?'

I shook my head. 'Nothing has happened since, Lolly. It was just a single kiss.' I bit my lip and she frowned.

'Because you don't want anything to happen or...?'

'We've not spoken about it.' I shrugged. 'So I don't know. But I'm not sure I want to ruin our friendship, you know?'

'You won't.' She said, softly. She held out my laptop and I typed in the password, letting her log onto Facebook. 'Do you like my brother?'

'He's a good friend.' I smiled.

'But as more than a friend?'

'I don't know.' I sighed. 'I guess until last night I'd not considered anything else.'

She looked thoughtful for a moment and glanced back at the picture. 'You two have always made a cute couple. Just give it time and then maybe you'll realise it.' I sank down beside her and saw that she'd opened up her photo album. She flicked through the photos the professional photographer had taken and I had to admit, the photos were good. There were photos of us posing together, just Lolly and I and then some with her other friends in. And of course, there was a picture of Seb and I dancing together before Kat had shown up. I looked at the picture, at the happiness on our faces and I sighed. Seb made me happy but was it enough to take a risk?

Lavine woke me up the following morning, letting me know that the tutor wasn't coming because he was unwell, so it would be a great day to study. But as she opened the curtains, letting in the sunlight, I wasn't so sure I wanted to study. I walked over to the window, as she laid out the newspapers, and admired the palace garden as it started coming into bloom. Today, a group of tourists walked around, photographing, signalling that parts of the palace were open again to the public again. Spring was here.

'Your highness, have you heard, you're a headline on the news?' Lavine said and I looked at her in surprise as she turned on the television. Sure enough, I was there, talking to the girls at the children's home the previous day and then singing with them. I caught bits of Norwegian, but not enough to work out what was being said. 'They like you, miss.' Lavine said, looking at my puzzled face. 'They've called you a delight, an English Rose, even. Said you are a perfect princess...' She paused. 'They're also trying to work out if you and Prince Sebastien are a couple.' She gave a sly smile and I raised my eyebrows. 'Breakfast is in the dining hall with the King and Queen this morning.' She told me. 'You have thirty minutes.'

I got to the dining hall just in time, hoping that it was okay to be wearing jeans and a blouse, as I desperately wanted to go for comfort after a few days of formality. I slid into my seat, opposite my brother and next to Seb, the King and Queen heads of the table. I greeted them good morning, in Norwegian, and they smiled before replying. The conversation was relaxed over dinner and I was praised for my appearance the previous day, being told that my parents and England would be very proud. Lolly left the dining hall first, heading to a library event in the city before studying that afternoon, and my brother went off to complete some jobs in the office, as he was trying to keep updated on his work back in England. The King and the Queen left shortly after and then it was just Seb and I left.

'Somehow I've made front page news again.' I said to him with raised eyebrows as I stood up from the table. At least I was front page in the papers that Lavine had left out for me.

'I'm not surprised. You were wonderful yesterday.' He gave a shy smile. 'What are your plans today?'

'Studying, I think.' I wrinkled my nose. 'Not hugely exciting, I know.'

'I might have a better offer.'

'Oh?'

His eyes twinkled as they met mine. 'Let's get away from the city for the day... make the most of the sunshine.'

My heart thumped in my chest. 'Just the two of us?'

'Other than a few members of security... yes.' He looked nervous, looping his thumbs through the belt loop of his slim-fit blue jeans.

I bit my lip and I tried to ignore his gaze shifting to look at my mouth before looking back into my eyes. Was it a date? Or just as friends? Lucy's voice rang in my ears... telling me to take a risk. Life was full of risks, wasn't it? I nodded. 'Sounds good.'

'Great.' He smiled. 'Wear some comfy shoes and a warm coat. It's still cool out there.'

So I dressed in comfy, warm clothing, packed a light bag and twenty minutes later we were getting into Seb's _other_ car. This one, which was parked in the garage, was a white BMW X1, a bit like a landrover or 4x4 but not quite. I climbed into the passenger seat and he closed the door, before moving round to the driver's side and sliding in. He turned his keys in the ignition and turned on his iPod, selecting Lady Antebellum. I looked at him in surprise and he smiled.

'They're pretty good.' He said. 'I enjoyed them at your fundraising event.'

'They're great.' I said, returning the smile, as the security guards separated between two cars; half to go in one in front of us and half to go behind. I fastened my seatbelt at the same time as Seb and he reversed out of the large garage, following a blacked out car towards the garage door. He paused, slipping on his Rayban sunglasses and I did the same, before we were out in the sunlight. We drove along the private road until we reached the gate at the front of the palace, where tourists moved around, taking pictures of the palace. A few turned our way and snapped pictures and I understood why Seb had insisted we took sunglasses with us; to hide our faces (sort of) in the pictures, as his windscreen wasn't blacked out. 'So where are we going?' I asked as we moved away from the palace and up through Oslo, passing the University and the football stadium.

'Somewhere I think you'll like a lot.'

The drive through the city and towards wherever we were going took about twenty minutes and I looked around, puzzled, as we pulled into a carpark, which only had a few other cars in it. From the signs, I worked out it was a national park or somewhere else naturey, and I glanced at the people walking their dogs as we pulled into a parking space. He turned off the ignition and smiled across at me before climbing out of the car and opening the door to me. He helped me out of the raised seat and I buttoned up my coat, feeling the cool wind. I slipped on my gloves as Seb grabbed a backpack from the car and his security guards walked over to join us. He said something to them in Norwegian, something I couldn't comprehend, and then he held out his hand for me. 'Ready?'

'Sure.'

Seb had brought me to the perfect place for a walk or a picnic. There was a large lake, surrounded by green woodland and the lake seemed to reflect the trees in the beautiful sunlight. The large lake was flat and peaceful and so was the surrounding area, I noticed as I stood on a dock, looking out across the water. On the mountains surrounding the lake, I spotted snow and I smiled. Spring might be arriving, but there was still a little bit of winter dotted around.

'My father says that your father is coming this weekend on his way back from Australia.' Seb said to me as we walked along the path next to the lake, our hands at our sides.

I nodded. I'd tried not to think about it. I'd been enjoying Norway and I was afraid he'd send me back to England earlier. He'd originally said I had a month, so that was another two weeks and then it was Easter so I hoped maybe I could persuade him to let me stay longer... but then, I missed Sally, Simon and my friends back home, so maybe I wanted to go home.

'I hope you don't go home early.' Seb said, his thoughts reflecting mine. He gave a sad smile and I mirrored it.

'Me too.' I frowned. 'I'd like to stay a little longer. I love it here.'

His smile lifted. 'You do?'

'Norway is very beautiful.' I told him. 'And I like spending time with you and Lolly... plus I'm just starting to get the hang of Norwegian.'

He chuckled softly, nudging me with his arm. 'I like spending time with you too.'

Our eyes met for a moment and I swallowed, knowing that last time he'd given me that look, we'd kissed. I stumbled, not looking where I was going, and he grabbed me, stopping me from falling. 'Eugh, I am so clumsy.' I groaned.

'It's one of the thinks I like about you.' He said, shyly, and I blushed, looking at the path to avoid embarassing myself again. We stopped next to a small waterfall and Seb passed me a bottle of water. I sipped it carefully, before tucking it back in his backpack as he pulled out his Nikon camera, snapping photos of the little trickling waterfall and then of the lake. I perched myself on a picnic bench and I blushed as he snapped a few photos of me.

'I look awful today.' I said, shielding my face, but he pulled my hand away.

'You could never look awful.'

'What about when I've just woken up?' I cocked my head to the side, thankful that the security guards were facing away from us, giving us our privacy.

His face was close to mine and my breath caught. 'You look adorable when you've just woken up.' I bit my lip, wondering if he was going to kiss me again. Did I want him to? I wasn't sure. His eyes searched mine and then he pulled me to my feet. 'Ready to carry on exploring?'

I nodded. 'Sure.'

Some of the undergrowth was thick and I was thankful I'd worn jeans and boots that ressembled hiking boots as we walked along through the greenery and across uneven pathways, past dog walkers and cyclists. Some people greeted us, but very few seemed to be aware of who we were. The sun disappeared behind the clouds after a while and Seb and I took off our sunglasses, our identities now perfectly clear, as if security guards following us hadn't made it clear in the first place. We reached a house which had grass on the top and I looked at it, curiously.

'It's called a torvtak.' Seb said, as if reading my thoughts again. 'It means turf roof.'

'Why do houses here have them?' I asked.

'Lots of reasons.' He said, tucking his hands into his pockets. 'Mainly though because they provide good insulation and they keep the wooden walls straight because it compresses the logs and keeps the walls drought-proof.'

'I wondered if it was just part of camouflage.' I chuckled at my silly idea.

'That would be a good idea too.' He smiled. 'Sometimes they have moss or grass like these ones and then sometimes they have flowers and trees on them.'

'It's like a cottage for the dwarves in Snow White.' I said, thoughtfully.

'Very fairytale-like.' He agreed.

We continued walking up the hillside, away from the lake, for a little longer and then we stopped and I understood why. The view below was breathtaking. The lake was below us and beyond that you could see buildings across the horizon, dotted between fir trees and over evergreens. I stood up on a picnic bench, snapping a photo and admiring the perfect view.

'Whenever I've got a big event coming up and I need to relax or write a speech, this is my favourite spot.' Seb told me with a smile. The comment reminded me of something similar Zed had said when we were in Morzine and it made my heart flutter.

'It's gorgeous.' I whispered, taking in my surroundings. It really was. And other than the tweeting of birds, you couldn't hear a thing.

'Sometimes you can see the Aurora from up here.' He told me with a smile.

'Wow.' I stepped down from the bench, beside him before I fell off, and I stood behind him as he took some pictures on his Nikon. 'Do you think you'd take photos professionally if you weren't heir to the throne?'

He looked thoughtful for a moment and he smiled. 'Probably... I just love it... it's relaxing and you can capture such beauty, such detail.'

'Until I crack your camera lens.' I wrinkled my nose and he put away his camera before turning to face me.

'Stop saying such awful things.' He said, his voice stern.

'They're true, though. I'm short and stumpy and my eyes are out of proportion with my face.'

He sighed, his hand moving to hold my cheek, gently. 'Sky, you're not stumpy, you're petite and your eyes are _beautiful_ and add to your beauty.' He whispered and I swallowed, aware of how close he was stood to me. 'I wish you could see how wonderful you are, inside and out.' His tongue ran across his bottom lip and I quickly looked up to his eyes. 'I really want to kiss you.' He whispered and my heart leapt in my chest. A palpitation. 'May I?' I realised he was asking because he said he should have asked my permission before. Did I want to kiss him again? His kiss had be nice and gentle and so different to Zed's kisses... but then did I want to ruin our friendship? But then risks... I was so puzzled, yet my mouth spoke before I could continue to ponder over the question.

'Yes.' I whispered back. He tilted his head to the left and gently touched his lips to mine, a gentle kiss like the one in the photobooth. His lips moved against mine, like butterfly wings, and then he moved back, leaning his forehead against mine.

'I know you don't want to ruin our friendship.' He whispered, his breaths tickling my lips where he had just kissed me. 'And I don't want that either... but I also don't want to spend my life wondering what would have happened if we'd risked being more than friends.'

There was that R word again; risks. I didn't say anything in response. I just looped my arms around his neck and pressed my lips to his again.

By the time that we had eaten dinner and walked back down the hillside, it getting late and we didn't arrive back into the city until it was dark, after everyone else had enjoyed dinner. Seb headed off to a meeting with his father, kissing me on the forehead before he disappeared, and I was walking back to my room. But I paused outside the reception room with its piano. I missed the feel of the keys under my fingers. I missed the melodic sound of the music. I walked into the room and sat down on the piano stool, carefully lifting the lid. The piano looked like it hadn't been touched for a long time. I ran my fingers over the keys, sighing with content at the sound.

 _'Moon river, wider than a mile_

 _I'm crossin' you in style some day_

 _Old dream maker, you heartbreaker_

 _Wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your way.'_

I paused when I saw my brother stood, watching me with his arms folded across his chest and a small smile on his face. 'You shouldn't do that.' I told him. 'It's creepy.'

'Part of winding up your sister, isn't it?' He smirked and I rolled my eyes. 'Good day?'

'Yes.' I said with a smile.

'Where did Seb take you?'

'To a lake outside of town. Lots of walking. I think my legs will pay for it in the morning.'

'Just walking?' He raised an eyebrow and I blushed, not wanting to have this conversation with my brother.

'Phil, really?' I groaned and he smiled. 'You're enjoying this aren't you?'

'Having a sister to make squirm? Always.' He chuckled. 'But seriously, if you like Seb then go for it. He's a pretty cool guy.'

'Dad would be happy.' I said, closing the lid of the piano. 'He wanted me to meet a decent _suitor._ '

'Dad would be happy, yes, but you should date someone because you want to... not because dad would approve.'

So I'd kissed Seb three times now. What did that mean? I pondered over it as I sat in my room, reading Pride and Prejudice before bed. A knock on the door caught me by surprise and I wondered if it was Seb, sneaking into my room so we could curl up beside each other and fall asleep. But it was Phillip. All happy and teasing expressions from just a few hours earlier were gone and the creases on his forehead and watery eyes suggested something awful had happened.

'What is it?' I whispered, my heart hammering in my chest. Had there been another attack? Was Ezra here?

'Grandfather's had a heartattack.' He replied, his voice hoarsed. I stood up, my legs wobbling. The man who had told me the truth, taken me under his wing and changed my life had had a heartattack. The one who still called every week without fail, the one who had invited me over for cups of tea every now and then when his busy schedule allowed.

'Is he...?' I couldn't say the word as a tear rolled down my cheek.

'No, he's in hospital, but we need to get back there. Father and mother are on their way but it's a long flight.'

I grabbed my bag, shoving in some clothes, as I was in my pyjamas, my phone and a few other necessities. Then I pulled on my coat and boots. 'Then let's go.'

The two hour flight from Oslo to London felt like it lasted a lifetime and Phillip and I sat side-by-side, holding onto each other. He'd only been my grandfather for six months, but it already seemed like a lifetime and the thought of losing him was awful. The press were waiting at the airport, of course, as we left the jet and headed into the waiting car, going straight for the hospital.

I hated hospitals. They were white and smelt of cleanliness and antisceptic and other smells that just reminded me that it was a place where often people died. Doctors and nurses hurried around, pagers buzzing, as we made our way to Intensive Care, where our grandfather was.

'For now he's stable, but these first twenty four hours are critical.' The doctor said to us and we both nodded.

'When did it happen?' Phillip asked.

'One of his maids found him unconscious just after dinner time.' The doctor replied. 'He could have been lying there for up to an hour as no one had checked on him until then.' Phillip's face crumpled and I squeezed his hand, feeling numb. 'He's still unconscious, but he can hear you if you'd like to see him.'

'Thank you.' He gave the doctor a small smile and we walked inside.

The old gentleman who often wore suits and crazy patterned shirts lay in a hospital bed, plugged into a heart monitor with tubes and wires coming out of him. I felt sick and dizzy and I sat in the chair beside him as Phillip squeezed our grandfather's hand.

'Granpops, it's me, Phillip.' He said, his voice hoarse and heartbroken. 'You always were one to cause a scene, weren't you?' He let out a small laugh and I gave him a small smile as I took our grandfather's other hand. 'Sky's here too. We both wanted to see you.'

'Hey grandfather.' I said, tears filling my eyes. 'Please hang on in there. I've only known you six months and there's still so much we need to know about each other.'

'Sky's been hanging out with the crown prince of Norway and he's totally besotted with her.' Phillip said and I glared at him. 'Maybe she'll be more than a princess one day.'

'Is... that...so.' His voice was croaky and our eyes widened as his eyelids started to flutter. He opened his eyes a little, pained. 'Were you... sick... on him... Sky?'

I blushed and laughed softly. 'Of course not.'

'I'm glad... you're both... here.'

Phillip squeezed our grandfather's hand and smiled. 'There's no place else we'd rather be.'

We didn't leave the hospital, didn't want to. We spent the time with our grandfather or in the family room, turning down the food that doctors and nurses offered us but accepting the coffee, desperate to keep awake and not miss anything. He spent the day drifting in and out of consciousness and I spotted something in my brother's eyes that I'd seen before; hope. The King and Queen arrived at the hospital at 2am the following morning and it was clear that my father had also not slept. His eyes were red and dark circles were under his eyes. He didn't look like England's King. He looked like a son concerned that his father was going to die. He greeted us both with a hug and a kiss on the cheek, before disappearing to see his father in Intensive Care. The Queen then sent us back to the palace to get some rest, and I was thankful for it.

I felt groggy when I woke up and it was hard to believe that just forty-eight hours previously, I'd woken up in bed next to Seb and then he'd taken me out for the day into the beautiful Norwegian countryside.

'Good morning miss.' Hannah and Clara, my chambermaids walked into the room and opened the curtains and turned on the heating for me. Clara put down a teapot and teacup for me.

'How are you feeling?' Clara asked, her face worried.

'I've been better.' I sighed, my head throbbing. 'Have we got any paracetmol?'

'I'll get some.' She went into my ensuite bathroom and rummaged around in the cupboard.

'Will you eat something, your highness?' Hannah asked, perching on the edge of my bed. She reached for my hand and squeezed it with reassurance. 'You've lost weight since we last saw you and I don't want you to lose anymore.'

'What about pancakes?' Clara asked as she brought in a glass of water and some painkillers. 'You love pancakes.'

'I'll try to eat some.' I said with a small smile.

'Good. I'll head down to the kitchen and fetch you some.' She stood up and disappeared.

'Your friends called last night.' Hannah said. 'They wanted to see you today. I told them I'd call them back if you were feeling better.'

'I'd like to see them.' I said. 'Where's Phillip?'

'He's working in the office. I think he's trying to distract himself.'

I nodded in understanding. 'That's a good idea. Send a car for my friends, will you? I'd love to see them.'

She smiled. 'Absolutely.'

I climbed out of bed and walked over to the window, looking out at the palace gardens which looked so very different to those in Norway. Rain fell from the sky, making the grounds look wet and muddy. Pathetic fallacy was what they called it, wasn't it? When a character felt a certain way and the weather reflected their mood. I was surprised there weren't storm clouds. I sighed, grabbed a comfy jumper and pair of jeans from my closet and walked into the bathroom, trying to make myself look more like Sky.

It didn't take long for my friends to arrive, the journey from school in a car not taking long. They'd ditched school for me, but I didn't care and I doubted the school would have much to say either. Friends stuck together, and my family was in a position of power. I finished my pancakes, just about, when they arrived, and they ran through my bedroom door, smothering me in a hug. We stayed like that for a minute, just four friends holding each other, letting out any emotions that any of us might have, and I realised just how much I had missed them. We'd been through a lot together and they knew me. I felt guilty when I realised that there was stuff about me that I'd held back from Tina and Zoe, but then I knew there were probably things that they hadn't told me either.

'It's good to see you but the circumstances are awful.' Lucy said, softly, pushing me down into the sofa. She sat beside me and Tina and Zoe sat themselves in the comfy armchairs. 'How are you holding up?'

'Okay I guess.' I sighed. 'My father doesn't want Phillip and I to visit grandfather today because they're thinking of moving him to a ward.'

'Well that's a good thing.' Tina said, encouragingly. 'It means he's well enough to get out of intensive care.'

'It is.' I nodded. 'But there's still a high chance that there will be other complications after his heartattack.' I closed my eyes and sighed. 'I've never seen someone looking so fragile, so small.' A tear rolled down my cheek and Lucy wrapped her arms around me, pulling my head onto her shoulder. 'Can we talk about something else?'

'Like you and Prince yummy?' Tina suggested and I blushed.

'Really?' I said in disbelief. 'You've been here less than five minutes.'

She shrugged. 'I've never been to Norway. Tell us about your adventures.'

So I did. I told them about Bergen and the Fjords and the incredible Northern Lights dancing overhead. I told them about the vibrant city of Oslo with its good shops I'd visited with Lolly one day and it's Freedom festival and the children's home I'd visited. Then I told them about the lake and how Prince Sebastien and I had kissed. Again. I missed out the fact that we'd shared a bed almost every night since the kidnapping.

'So are you two dating now?' Zoe asked, excitedly.

'I don't know.' I shrugged. 'Everything just went downhill after that.' I frowned and turned to Lucy. 'How are you and Nate?'

'Totally vom-worthy.' Tina chuckled. 'They are just sickeningly adorable.'

'Thanks for that!' Lucy said with raised eyebrows.

'Sorry, we're just jealous that we're single pringles and you have dreamboats.' Zoe sighed. 'You're both so lucky.'

'Am I?' I said, looking over at her. 'I wouldn't call what's happened over the past month lucky.'

'That's not what I meant.' Zoe blushed. 'I meant that you're both lucky to have nice guys that seem to be crazy about you.'

'Well I don't even know if I will ever see Seb again.' I sighed. 'Because Norway seems an awfully long way away right now.'

On Saturday, grandfather was finally released from hospital, but he was still expected to rest so he moved into the palace, where their doctors could keep a close eye on him and ensure he recieved the rest treatment until he had fully recovered. There was still a risk he could have another heartattack or other health issues, following the heartattack, but he seemed to be more himself, moaning at people to stop fussing over him and having regained some colour in his cheeks. That day, I'd made a decision.

My father was in his office and he closed his laptop as I walked in after being announced by his guards. 'Sky, what can I do for you?' He asked, cheerily.

'You're in a good mood.' I commented.

'Your grandfather seems a lot better and he's back here where he is safe and then the papers are speculating over whether Princess Sky is dating the crown Prince of Norway. Of course I'm in a mood.'

'They are?' My eyebrows shot up. I hadn't been seen with him since Monday. My father pushed a newspaper across his desk towards me.

 _The new romantics?_

 _Her Royal Highness Prince Sky and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Norway, Sebastien, seem to have been spending a lot of time together since they were kidnapped and held hostage last month by terrorists. The two met at a Benefit in Paris in January and seem to have been enjoying each other's company ever since. Most recently, it was announced that Princess Sky and her brother, heir to the English throne, Prince Phillip, were spending time in Norway whilst their father was on his Royal tour of Australia. The two were spotted on Monday enjoying the sunshine and beautiful Norwegian scenery and Prince Sebastien's Instagram photos confirm this._

There were pictures from Seb's Instagram of the lake and then a selfie of the two of us from the spot we'd kissed at. I swallowed.

 _Princess Sky won the hearts of millions on Sunday with a surprise appearance at Oslo's new Children's Home for Girls, where she gave an inspirational speech and sang songs from Frozen with the young orphans. If you doubted Princess Sky even for a moment, then wash away these horrible thoughts- she's here to stay!_

'You've done well for yourself.' My father said with a smile and I blushed. 'I'm proud of you. Dating Prince Sebastien is an excellent publicity stunt and it will do well for both Norway and England.'

'It isn't a publicity stunt.' I frowned. 'I wouldn't play with someone's feelings just because it's good for a country.'

He smiled, a creepy smile, and he leaned back in his chair. 'Of course not. What can I do for you?'

He didn't believe me. I frowned, but then I remembered why I was there. 'I want to go back to school.'

'With two weeks until the Easter holidays? Why would you want to do that?'

'I miss my friends and I like school.' I said with a shrug. 'I don't want a tutor. I want to sit in a class with my classmates and forget that anything bad ever happened.' Even if I had a small scar on my head to remind me that it had.

'Okay.' He nodded. 'I will give the school a call and then I will organise a driver to take you to school and back every day.'

'I want to move back into the dorm.' I said, folding my arms across my chest. 'I like living there with my friends and having the full private school experience.'

'I'm not sure it's safe for you to do that. Ezra is still out there.'

'So send me with a few more guards, bar my windows, I don't care... but don't lock me up here like I'm Rapunzel. I want my life back. I don't want to be afraid anymore.' I looked into his eyes until he broke my gaze.

'I don't think that's a good idea.'

'I do.' The Queen had entered and I'd not even realised. 'If we're holding Sky here then Ezra had won. Send some more guards, have them patrol outside the building at night, but let her go back to school Edward. Let her live her life.'

He narrowed his eyes, clearly irritated his wife had intervened but then he sighed. 'You'll have two guards outside your door at all times. Three guards will take you to classes and four if you go off-site at any time. I will call the school about having security outside the building, checking the area at all times. Do you understand?'

'Yes.' I said with a small smile, grateful I had won and that things were going to go back to normal. Sort of.

The girls were ecstatic when I moved back in the following day and we had a girls night, watcing Reign and wearing face-masks and painting each other's finger and toe nails. Despite not having Seb beside me, I slept well that night. I woke up early the next day, to the sound of my alarm, but I didn't groan like Lucy did. Instead, I got up, showered and washed my hair, dried it and styled it, choosing to straighten it for a change and I applied my make-up before throwing on the plaid skirt, shirt and jumper I wore for school. I slipped on court shoes too, wanting to be a little taller and bolder. Re-inventing myself for my first day back at school in over a month. My phone buzzed and I grabbed it, opening the text message.

 _I miss waking up next to you and I miss your voice. Can we talk later? I know we've texted all week but that's not satisfying enough. Good luck at your first day back at school Elsa, Seb xx_

I smiled at the nickname that liked back with our visit to the Children's Home and I sent a quick reply.

 _Thank you- I'm sure the teachers won't have missed me and I've definitely not missed P.E. Swimming today- ick! Yes would love to talk later, Elsa xx_

'You seem cheery.' Lucy commented as we left the dorm and headed to breakfast, my security following us.

'Because I'm back in my routine.' I smiled. 'I don't even mind that we have swimming last lesson... sort of.'

Lucy wrinkled her nose. 'It's awful, especially when Savannah and Zed are all over each other.'

'Speak of the devils.' Zoe said and I glanced up to see Zed and Savannah making out against the wall opposite us, near the entrance to the dining hall. I blinked and frowned.

'Argh, my eyes!' I said playfully and my friends laughed as Lucy looped her arm through mine. We walked inside, finding our usual table. A few classmates greeted me with a smile and asked how I was, which was nice, and then Nate, Yves and Nelson made their way to our table.

'Sky, how are you?' Yves said cheerily as I tucked into my cereal.

'I'm good thanks.' I replied with a smile. 'It's nice to be home.'

'Did you see the Northern lights in Norway?' Nelson asked, interested.

'I did.' I nodded. 'And they are really spectacular. Definitely worth seeing.'

'I've been to the fjords twice and never seen them!' He groaned. 'Your first time there and you see them. Not fair!'

'It's all down to luck.' I smiled.

'You're telling me.'

'My brother is vile.' Yves sighed as Zed and Savannah walked in, hand-in hand. They stopped at our table and I bit my lip, nervously, not sure what to say.

'Oh Sky, you're back. I heard about your granddad. How _awful._ ' Savannah said and I knew she didn't mean it. I met her eyes and I scowled at her.

'Yes, because you've been so concerned about my welfare.' I replied, bitterly, and she looked taken aback.

'We all have.' She said and she frowned as I rolled my eyes.

'Of course, you _especially.'_ I folded my arms across my chest. 'Which is why you told the papers I was in Norway when you knew my kidnapper is still out there.'

'Sky.' Zed scolded, looking irritated. 'Savannah did nothing of the sort.'

'Really? Because I told _four_ people I was in Norway and I know it wasn't Tina, Zoe or Lucy.' I stood up now, feeling angry. 'So it was either you or you told Savannah where I was.'

Savannah smiled. A smirk. One I wanted to wipe off her pretty little face. 'We've been so busy... if you know what I mean. Savannah said, flirtaciously, rubbing Zed's chest and Yves spat out his drink, shuddering. 'It couldn't possibly have been either of us.'

'Of course not.' I glared, a death glare, at both of them. They made me sick.

'You should get your facts straight before accusing someone.' Zed said and it took everything in me not to slap one of them. Or pour the rest of my breakfast over them. I was seething as they turned and left and I sank back into my seat, my fists clenched.

'Woah, I like this new Sky.' Nelson commented with a chuckle. 'She's fiesty.'

'It isn't a new Sky.' I told him. 'It was always there, I'm just no longer afraid to show it.'

My friends smiled across at me as Lucy high-fived me and said. 'Damn girl, you're fearless.'

I felt fearless all day and I was confident in English Literature, able to comment on where we had got up to in Pride and Prejudice as I'd read it in Norway, and I did well in mathematics soon, even though the problem-solving made my head hurt. I was even happy in English Language, although it felt weird learning about root words and not Norwegian, as I had been learning in its place. Then swimming came around.

Bikinis weren't allowed for swimming at school, but that didn't mean I wasn't going to look fashionable. I tied my hair in a braid, using the technique Lolly had taught me, and changed into my new swimsuit; it was turquoise with pink flowers, a curved neckline and a halterneck top that worked my figure well. I was thankful I'd bought a new one, as I had lost weight and this way it was a perfect fit. Lucy wolf-whistled when she saw me and we grabbed our towels, walking onto the poolside, where our classmates stood. Savannah, of course, was showing off as much cleavage as she could get away with and some of the guys were busy ogling her until Zed came out of the male changing room. He grinned at his girlfriend and I cringed at their exchange. Then, as instructed by our swimming teacher, we took turns to dive in. I'd not swam in ages, but thankfully I got going pretty quickly. It was the one sport I was pretty good at and I was confident swimming lengths. I had the stamina to do so. I raced Savannah and won, but then, as the competitiveness died down, I swam straight into Zed.

'Would you watch it?' He hissed and it was clear old, arrogant Zed was back.

'You're so full of it.' I said back and he frowned at me.

'What is your problem?'

'What's my problem? _You._ ' I gritted my teeth.

'Sky! Zed!' The swimming teacher interrupted. 'This is not the time to be fighting.'

I glanced over at Savannah, who was giving me her best impression of a death glare. I wanted to say something, but Lucy tapped my shoulder. 'Believe me, it isn't worth it.'

I stayed in the pool longer than everyone else as it was the last lesson of the day. There was something relaxing about swimming different strokes at a relaxed pace, for leisure, whilst the speedometer circled on the wall overhead. Eventually, I got out and showered and dried myself, changing back into my uniform. Then, as the guards met me outside the changing room, I decided to call Seb on my way to dinner.

'Good evening.' He answered on the second ring and his voice sounded cheery. It made me smile.

'God kveld.' I replied in Norwegian.

'I do love hearing you speak my language.' He said into the phone, his voice relaxed. 'How are you?'

'I'm okay thanks, you?'

'I am okay too. Would be better if you were still here.' He sounded sad and I felt sad too.

'I'd like to be in Norway too.' I replied. 'But then I also think I needed to get back to reality too, you know? It's been kinda nice being back in normal classes today and I really missed the girls.'

'I understand.' He said and I knew he was being honest. 'So your first day back was okay?'

'Other then Savannah the bitch, yes it was, but I'm starting to think he can't help it.' I paused. 'Sorry that wasn't very princessy of me.'

'It's okay.' He chuckled. 'I can't expect you to be princessy all of the time.'

'She just gets on my nerves, you know?'

'I'm sure.'

'I can't believe she's in charge of the dance next Friday.' I wrinkled my nose as I saw another poster for the _Spring Fling dance_ organised for the following week, marking the start of the Easter holidays. Unfortunately, Savannah was on the school events committee, which was probably why the party was named after her American roots.

'You have a dance next Friday?'

'Yeah. We have them termly.' I paused. 'I'm not sure I want to go to this one though... the Winter Ball kinda blew up in my face as I got dumped there.' I wrinkled my nose.

'Lord Marcus?'

'Yeah.' I sighed, surprised he actually remembered what I'd told him at the charity fundraiser ball. 'Maybe I can persuade the girls to have a night in. Might be more fun.'

'Or you can hold your head high and go out anyway?' He suggested. 'And show Zed Benedict what he lost.'

I laughed, softly. 'I don't want to show him what he lost, I couldn't care less and I think his head is too far in Savannah's boobs to see anyway.' I cringed. 'Sorry, that wasn't very princessy either, was it?'

'Feeling feisty?'

'My friends said that earlier. Maybe I am or maybe it's because I'm learning to stand up for myself.'

'That's a good thing.' He said and I knew he didn't disapprove of my language.

'Sorry, I've done a lot of talking.' I apologised. 'How was your day?'

'It was okay... I have been thinking of some promotional ideas for the children's home actually. You inspired me last week.'

'I did?' I was surprised as I reached the entrance to the dining hall. I leaned against the wall outside and Zed walked past, eyeballing me as he went. I rolled my eyes, irritated.

'I want to have a princess tea party fundraiser for the girls and they get to be a princess for the day.' He said, happily. 'I've proposed the idea to the children's home today and I'm waiting to hear back from them.'

'It's a lovely idea.' I said with a smile as I spotted Lucy, Tina and Zoe waving at me as they approached.

'There you are!' Lucy said, cheerfully.

'I'll let you go.' Seb said, his voice sad. 'I miss you and say hello to the girls for me.'

'I miss you too.' I said with a frown. He was far too far away. 'I'll tell them you say hi.'

The week raced on by and it was the weekend before we knew it. I returned to the palace for the weekend, wanting to make the most of the time with my grandfather and we played chess and caught up from his bedside, although we managed to wheel him around the gardens in a wheelchair too. The weekend flew by too quickly and I found myself sat on Sunday night, looking at pictures from Norway and missing it. I couldn't win, could I? I either missed England or I missed Norway? What did that mean? Did I have a home anymore? I just wasn't sure.


	26. Darling hold my hand

'What do you mean you don't want to go to Spring Fling?!' Lucy said, dramatically, on Tuesday evening. The girls were planning on going into town after school the following day and I'd shared my plans of not going in the hope that they weren't going either. 'You have to go!'

'Says who?'

'Us!' My three friends chorused.

'Because it turned out so well before?' I raised an eyebrow.

'Well you're not with Marcus and Sebastien is in Norway so what can go wrong?' Tina said, folding her arms across her chest.

'We've not been to a party with you in months. Don't bail on us!' Zoe tutted.

'But if I go I can't guarantee I won't punch Savannah.' Her dirty stares and public make-out sessions were getting irritating and I was surprised someone hadn't already done the honors.

'So we get kicked out for something awesome! Better than not going at all!' Lucy said with a small smile. 'Please, Sky.'

'Haven't you got dates?'

'Well Nate and I are going...' Lucy shifted, uncomfortably.

'But we're going together! Come be our third wheel!' Tina beamed, nudging Zoe who nodded in agreement.

'And we can get really, really hot dresses and out-do Savannah and her minions. Surely that would be a good thing? Turning more heads then them?'

I sighed. 'I don't know, I was thinking of having a night in at the palace.'

'Then I'll call your brother and tell him to kick you out.' Lucy grabbed my arms. 'Please, Sky, please. I beg of you!'

And somehow I ended up buying tickets from the office the following day, looking over at Lucy in surprise when she too bought a ticket. I asked if she already had one, and she said that she had, but Nate hadn't. Seemed a valid excuse at the time. If we were going to be fabulous, it needed sorting, so I called the palace beauticians, getting their number from Nina, and booked them in for a 4pm arrival on Friday, saying that we'd need enough for pampering for four girls. Then there were the dresses.

We headed into Kingston-Upon-Thames after school, arranging to go dress shopping and then have dinner at Sally and Simon's two-bedroom townhouse. I'd heard, from Nina, about a new boutique near the river, so we headed there first, with my security guards for company.

'Your highness, I heard you were coming.' The woman in the shop curtsied and the rather gay gentleman with her bowed, the campest bow I'd ever seen. 'Thank you for choosing to visit our shop.'

'You're most welcome.' I smiled. 'You see, my friends and I have a party on Friday night and I hoped you had some Spring-style dresses we could wear.'

'Black tie or cocktail?' The guy asked, adjusting his pink sequinned bowtie.

'Cocktail.' I replied with a smile and Lucy looked at me in surprise. 'So something knee-length or midi.'

'Absolutely.' The woman nodded, locking the shop door behind my security guards. 'Any colour preferences in mind? Pale pink or pale blue always looks lovely on you.'

'Mind if we just have a look?' Lucy asked. 'I'm not sure what I'm looking for yet.'

'Go ahead.' The lady smiled as she turned the door sign to 'closed.'

The dress was a great dress for parties, proms and weddings, with perfect bridesmaid dresses and party dresses of lace, tulle and a little sparkle. Their spring section had mainly florals and pastels and I headed there first, pulling out so many pretty dresses which were surprisingly a fair price too. I pulled out a yellow floral dress with an asymmetric hem, falling longer at the back then the front, but I knew from holding it up in front of the mirror that it wasn't my colour.

'Zoe?' I held out the dress for her and she beamed.

'It's lovely!'

Lucy emerged from the dressing room in a light blue off-the-shoulder, knee-length dress with light pink roses all over it. She twirled and I was surprised she'd already found the perfect dress. 'What do you think?' She asked.

'It's great.' I told her with a genuine smile. It suited her perfectly.

Ten minutes later and Zoe was in the yellow dress and Tina in a grey strapless dress with roses along the bottom, also looking fabulous. The three of them looked perfect and I knew they were going to turn heads on Friday. I sighed, still not having seen a dress that jumped out. Maybe it was a sign I shouldn't go? The girls paid for their dresses and then began frantically helping me, aware that it was getting later and later.

'Actually your highness, we did have a brand new design come in today.' The woman said, her hands clasped together. 'It's not supposed to be on sale yet, but I'm sure we could make an exception.' She disappeared out to the stockroom, returning with a dress bag. She hung it up and then unzipped the dress, revealing a gorgeous lace pink dress. It had a sweetheart neckline with lace over the top and it fell into a short tulle skirt, that would fall just above my knees. The lady pulled the dress out of the bag and turned it, revealing a beautiful deep v back, which fell to the waist, where there was a light pink bow. It was lovely and in that moment, I knew that was the dress.

Trying to get work done on Friday was pointless and I wondered why our English, Maths, French and Music teachers even bothered trying. Everyone was buzzing about the Spring Fling, chatting about who they were taking and what the hall was going to look like and what they were wearing. And of course, Nelson's afterparty.

'You're coming to the party, right?' Nelson said, draping a arm around my shoulder and one around Tina's as we tried power-walking our way back to the dorm so that we could shower before the beauticians arrived.

'Of course we are.' Tina smiled and he smiled back at her. 'We've even got some booze.'

'Your dad won't kill me, will he Sky?' Nelson asked, worriedly and I shook my head.

'My security aren't allowed to share personal details thanks to their confidentiality agreement so don't worry. It'll be fun.'

'Oh it will.' He beamed. 'If you guys need to crash after then go ahead.'

I nodded with a smile. 'Thanks, but I think we're all going back to my apartment in Kensington.'

'Sweet.' He nodded. 'See you ladies when you're all glammed up... not that you aren't gorgeous already.' He winked and disappeared off in the opposite direction.

'He's such a flirt.' I commented as I adjusted my grip on my books, walking into our boarding house. We passed our receptionist and she greeted us before we headed up the stairs and down the hallway. Girls already milled about, some already stressed, in their robes, curlers in hair and face masks on. We didn't have long to jump in a shower before everyone else, so we hurried off quickly.

 _Looking forward to tonight? Seb xx_

The text caught me by surprise as my hair was finished and I looked in the mirror at my curls and the delicate white flowers threaded through the braid at the back of my hair. It was very spring-like and very pretty. I checked my make-up and smiled at the hair and make-up girls, thanking them for their hardwork before replying to Seb.

 _Surprisingly I am. Just enjoying a glass of champagne with the girls xx_

I sipped at my flute of champagne at glanced at the clock; 8pm. We'd got ready at a relaxed pace and the party had just officially opened, but I knew very few people would arrive on time. I heard a groan outside the door and I opened it to see Kelly-Anne, one of the girls who lived next to Zoe, freaking out in a robe.

'What is it?' I asked her and she turned to face me, the reason behind the freaking out evident- she had smudged her make-up. Big time. And it looked awful.

'I just can't get it right and Amy can't help because her hands are just as shaky! We shouldn't have had wine to drink!' She groaned.

I looked over my shoulder at the beauticians and smiled. 'I think I can help.'

I did what any other good person or princess would have done. The beauticians reapplied the make-up for both girls and fixed their hairs into quick but pretty updos, adding a few flowers whilst the rest of us put on our dresses and shoes. When they were done, Kelly-Anne and Amy smiled, happily, happy tears in their eyes.

'Sky you're the best!' Kelly-Anne said, hugging me. 'I don't know why Savannah says you're such a bitch.'

I tensed. 'She said that?'

'Yes but it's so not true!' Amy said. 'You're amazing! Thank you!'

Kelly-Anne turned to me with a smile. 'Are you coming?'

'You go ahead.' I told her and she disappeared out of the door after the beauticians I had dismissed. I turned to my friends, my eyes narrowed. 'Savannah has been slagging me off? Really?'

'Don't let her ruin your pretty face.' Lucy said with a smile. 'You look great, Sky, you don't need a frown on your face.' Her phone buzzed and she looked at it with a small smile on her face.

'Nate?' I asked.

'Erm... yes.' She replied but she was acting shifty. It clearly wasn't Nate. I glanced at Zoe and Tina and they simply shrugged in response. Was she cheating on Nate? 'Are we ready to go?'

'Sure.' I nodded, grabbing my clutchbag and hoping Lucy really wasn't that stupid. I followed them out of the door and locked it behind me, my security guards following closely behind. I hoped they weren't going to cramp my style at the party. I knew and understood why they needed to be there, but I hoped they had the decency to stand a few metres away and let me have fun with my friends.

I shivered as we walked out into the cold and I wished I'd thrown on a coat, but I knew the walk to the school hall would only take a few minutes. I linked arms with Lucy, stumbling in my heels as I walked onto the gravel. Then I froze.

Someone was stood wearing a very smart designer-looking suit with a very pale pink tie. Someone with blonde swept back hair. I blinked, wondering if he was going to disappear, but he didn't. He smiled back at me.

'Is that Prince...' I heard a girl from my dorm say behind me, but I interrupted, running across the gravel and leaping into his arms as I called out, 'SEB!'

He chuckled as he held me tight, my legs wrapped around his waist and my arms around his chest. 'Surprise.' He said softly as I rested my head on his shoulder.

'What are you doing here?' I whispered as he placed a gentle kiss on my neck.

'You didn't think I was going to let you go to a ball without me, did you?' He said, the smile clear in his voice. 'So I think people are staring. We might make it to front page news again.'

'Get a room!' A voice I recognised to be Savannah's called out and I saw her over Seb's shoulder, watching me with Zed. He frowned at me.

'Sorry.' I apologised to Seb. I loosened my legs and slipped down, blushing when I remembered I was in a dress. 'Maybe that would have been better if I was in jeans.'

'It's okay.' He said with a smile. 'It was a nice greeting. Did you miss me?'

'Of course.' I nodded and he kissed my forehead.

'So, Princess Sky, may I have the honor of being your date this evening?'

I realised eyes were on us and it made me nervous, but I didn't need to hesitate. 'Of course, Prince Sebastien.'

He cringed at the use of his full-name, but nonetheless, he pulled out a beautiful white flower corsage, tying it around my wrist carefully. 'I don't know if you have these over here, but I've seen them with these in the movies.'

'Okay, you too are adorable and possibly even more vom-worthy than Lucy and Nate.' Tina said, appearing at our side and ruining the cute moment Seb and I were exchanging.

'Seb, you remember my friends Tina, Zoe and Lucy.' I said, rolling my eyes.

Seb laughed softly. 'It's great to see you girls again.'

'Here, you'll need this.' Lucy handed him a ticket and I gave her a puzzled look. 'What? Someone had to help out with the great surprise.' She grinned.

'Sneaky!' I said to her, relieved that she wasn't cheating. She'd been texting Seb, clearly, and that's why she'd needed an extra ticket. I shivered and Seb draped his arm around my shoulder as I spotted he'd brought two members of his security team with him. I didn't bat an eyelid. They nodded at me in greeting and I smiled back.

'So, shall we?' Seb said and I nodded, hoping the night was going to continue to be just as wonderful as it had been so far.

The hall had been transformed into a garden ready to envy Macy's Garden Show in NYC. False grass covered the carpet on the floor, the dancefloor the only clear space, and coloured lanterns hung from the ceiling in between strands of ivy with large paper flowers around the walls of the room. With the teacups as tealight-holder centerpieces by the tables, all of which had brightly-coloured tablecloths on and matching ribbons around the chairs, I felt like I'd walked into an Alice in Wonderland wedding; Savannah's wedding. She milled around in her tight bright pink dress, which probably only just fit inside the school dresscode, looking like Malibu Barbie with her tan and black stiletto heels, a large white flower in one side of her hair. She spotted me and folded her arms across her chest, making her cleavage look bigger.

'Ladies!' Nelson appeared, hugging each of us and clearly having already started on the booze. He looked at us in our pretty dresses and smiled. 'Looking gorgeous as always!' Then he spotted Seb and he looked at him with confusion. 'You look familiar.'

'Nelson, this is Prince Sebastien from Norway.' I said with a smile, holding back a giggle.

'But please call me Seb.' Seb quickly intervened. He held out his hand and Nelson shook it, his eyes wide.

'Right! You're the prince that Sky's been hanging with!' Nelson said with a smile.

'At least I hope I'm the only prince she's been hanging with.' Seb joked back and Nelson chuckled.

'Are you coming to the party, man?'

'Party?' He looked at me.

'Nels always throws afterparties.' I smiled. 'We're going, but you don't have to if you need to get back to... where are you staying?'

'I don't know yet.' He shrugged. 'I didn't plan that far ahead.'

'You're welcome to crash at mine, bro, loads of people are!' Nelson said. He high-fived Seb and then disappeared.

Seb laughed and I let out the giggle I'd been holding in, as did the other girls. I looked at Seb and smiled. 'You'll have to come and stay in Kensington with me. I don't want you finding a hotel at some crazy time in the morning and that way your security can stay in one of the other apartments with mine.'

Tina raised her eyebrows and I elbowed her. She had no idea. Then Nate appeared, walking over and planting a kiss on Lucy's lips. 'You look so pretty.' He whispered and she blushed before I repeated the whole introduction thing.

The party took a while to get into swing, but soon the DJ was playing some dance-worthy hits and I mingled by the food table whilst Seb and Nate got us some drinks. I tapped my feet in time to the music and looked up to see Zed was watching me. I blinked, unable to read his expression and then he glanced away as Savannah approached, shooting daggers with her eyes.

'Seb is really nice.' Lucy said with a smile as Tina and Zoe headed off to find some dance partners.

'He is.' I smiled in agreement. 'We grew quite close when we were away. I think he's probably one of my best friends... my best guy friend definitely.'

'Oh?' She looked surprised.

'He's kind and caring and he looks out for me. He got us out of...' My voice trailed off and I bit my tongue, fighting back the sadness that still crept up every now and again.

Lucy reached out for me and pulled me into a hug. 'Then I owe him far more credit then I've given him.' She sighed as she moved back, looking into my eyes. 'I wasn't sure of him at first and I still wasn't sure when he messaged me on Facebook about his plan to surprise you today.' She bit her lip. 'I was sure I was team Zed, but now, I don't think I am.' Her eyes flicked to where Zed and Savannah were kissing and she rolled her eyes before turning back to face me. 'Seb seems to be the perfect gentleman and there's something about the way he looks at you... like you're the only girl in the world.' She nodded towards the punch bar and I looked over to see he was watching me, a smile on his face that met his pretty eyes. 'He's more than just a pretty boy or prince yummy as Tina calls him.' She giggled. 'I know it will be hard having a long-distance relationship, but I think you should totally go for it. He's a great guy.'

I smiled at her, my future still uncertain to me. 'Thank you.'

The boys returned with our drinks and Lucy downed hers straight away, frowning. 'Why isn't this alcoholic?'

'It will be at Nelson's so please don't do that.' Nate laughed, sipping at his half empty glass.

I drank mine quickly too and Seb smiled. 'Thirsty?'

'A little. Haven't you seen me dancing?'

'Oh I've seen you.' He gave me a cheeky grin and I blushed. I'd been going for it, arms in the air, hips shaking, getting my groove on to a little Fifth Harmony.

 _'Standing in a crowded room and I can't see your face_

 _Put your arms around me, tell me everything's OK.'_

'I love this song!' Lucy grabbed Nate's hand. 'Dance with me!' She pulled him onto the dancefloor and Seb smiled.

'She can be quite bossy, can't she?'

 _'In my mind, I'm running round a cold and empty space_

 _Just put your arms around me, tell me everything's OK.'_

'Absolutely.' I agreed with a laugh. 'But so can I.' I held out my hand and he took it.

'I'm not going to say no to a dance with the most beautiful girl in the room.' I blushed at the compliment as we found our own place on the dancefloor and he placed his hands on my hips as I reached up to his neck.

 _'Break my bones but you won't see me fall, oh_

 _The rising tide will rise against them all, oh.'_

We danced to the music and I stepped closer to him as the chorus kicked in.

 _'Darling, hold my hand_

 _Oh, won't you hold my hand?_

 _'Cause I don't wanna walk on my own anymore_

 _Won't you understand? 'Cause I don't wanna walk alone_

 _I'm ready for this, there's no denying_

 _I'm ready for this, you stop me falling_

 _I'm ready for this, I need you all in_

 _I'm ready for this, so darling, hold my hand.'_

Dancing with Seb was nice and I realised I really had missed him. I'd missed his voice, his laughter and even his arms around me. A slow song came on next, _Stolen_ by Dashboard Confessional and I relaxed as he pulled me closer, moving slowly in time with me. I rested my head against his chest, content, and then I realised Zed was watching us. Again. A green aura surrounded him, reminding me of the Northern Lights and he frowned, making me uncomfortable. I looked away from him, looking up to meet Seb's eyes. He smiled down at me, kissing my forehead and then he twirled me around, before pulling me back in close to him. And then, in front of my teachers and classmates, I gently pressed my lips to his. The kiss was short and sweet, but he let out a sigh of content and kissed my forehead.

'I was afraid I'd scared you off.' He said as he looked down at me and I shook my head.

'Why would you think that?'

'I don't know, but I've been wanting to kiss you ever since you left.' He kissed my nose, a cute gesture that made me smile. 'I came looking for you that night and then I heard about your grandfather.' I gave a sad smile, wondering what would have happened if I hadn't had to leave that night. Would we be boyfriend and girlfriend? It was impossible to tell.

 _Shake it off_ came blaring out of the speakers and I didn't have time to react. Lucy, Tina and Zoe grabbed me, prying me from Seb's clutches and dragging me over to their side of the dancefloor.

Nelson's house party was just as crazy as normal and although I shouldn't have been surprised, I wasn't quite sure how to react when we arrived and saw _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ setting up on a makeshift stage. Seb squeezed my hand and I tried to act like it didn't bother me that Zed's band were playing as Lucy walked over to chat to Nate whilst he sorted out the bass and electric guitar.

'Live music? Nice!' Seb commented and I faked a smile.

'Shall we get a drink?'

'Alcoholic?'

'Of course.' I gave him a flirtacious smile and he returned it.

'Well don't you have some nerve.' Savannah's voice caught my by surprise and I gave her outfit a once-over; it was just as cringey as it had seemed before.

'Can we help you?' Seb said, jumping into the rescue, my knight in shining armour as always.

Savannah's eyes flicked to Seb and I wondered if she'd known he was there all along or if it really was a surprise. She smiled, a flirty smile that made me cringe, and held out her hand, as if expecting Seb to kiss it. 'Prince Sebastien, an honor.'

'Apparently so.' He said, his voice bitter as he shook her hand.

'Now why would the future King of Norway want to attend some silly school house party?'

'Because the most beautiful girl in the world is here.' He draped his arm around my waist and I blushed as Zed walked over.

'Sky.' He said through a glare.

'Zed.' I said, reflecting the glare. Seb tightened his grip on my waist and joined in with the glaring as Zed turned to give him a once-over.

'Zed, we're on mate.' Nate called out, stopping a fight from breaking out.

'Sure.' Zed nodded and grabbed Savannah's hand. 'You coming?'

'Of course!' She beamed and with a final look over her shoulder, she disappeared into the crowd.

'So that was the delightful Zed Benedict.' Seb said, his face expressionless. I turned to face him, spotting the aura around him.

'You're angry.'

'No I'm not.'

I raised my eyebrows. 'I can see you're angry, remember?' I waved my arms around him and he frowned.

'He's just as much as an ass I thought he would be.' He paused. 'Sorry that wasn't very princely of me.'

'And I've hardly been ladylike so I don't think you need to apologise.' I have him a small smile but his mouth was still a straight line. 'Hey, cheer up, please.'

'Sorry.' I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him down, pressing my lips gently to his. He relaxed slightly and I moved my lips against his before pulling away. 'Sorry, I'm here to see you, I just think he's an idiot, that's all.'

'You and me both.'

We clinked our glasses of alcoholic punch together and I took a sip, wrinkling up my nose. Seb did the same and I laughed as the chords to a _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ song started up.

'What? Our punch not good enough for you royals!' Tina said, playfully.

'Too much time drinking fancy champagne.' Zoe smirked beside her as Lucy came to join us.

 _'Oh don't you dare look back._

 _Just keep your eyes on me."_

 _I said, "You're holding back, "_

 _She said, "Shut up and dance with me!"'_

'Really?' I groaned and Seb cocked his head to the side, giving me a questionnable look.

 _'This woman is my destiny_

 _She said, "Ooh-ooh-hoo,_

 _Shut up and dance with me.'_

'What?' Tina shot me a puzzled look and Lucy sighed.

'So karaoke?' I suggested and thankfully my friends agreed to disappear into the other room.

An hour later and the party was in full swing, as we all danced around after having a round of karaoke in the second reception room. We continued to drink the awful-tasting punch and after a few glasses I supposed it didn't taste too bad. But I was sure that was because I was getting a little tipsy. We spoke to our classmates and danced cheesey routines as well as some sexy ones, whilst my girl friends interrogated Seb, which he thankfully didn't take the wrong way.

'I think I'm going to go back to Nate's tonight... if you don't mind of course.' Lucy said as we walked through the halls of the house.

'Of course I don't.' I gave her a small smile but I raised my eyebrow when Seb wasn't looking. She blushed and nodded, confirming what I thought; they'd gone all the way whilst I was gone. I'd missed out on the gossip.

'What's in there?' Seb signalled to a door as a few people walked out of it.

'The pool.' I replied, remembering it from before.

'This Nelson kid has a pool? Is he a secret Duke or something?'

'His dad is a pretty famous director.' I smiled and Seb grabbed my hand, pulling me inside.

'Okay, this is so bizarre!' He commented, signalling to the rectangular shaped pull surrounded my faux grass and palm plants ascending into the air, touching the glass sunroof.

'Do you not have a pool at the palace?' I asked, surprised and he shook his head.

'Do you?'

'No, but apparently we have one in the Kensington apartments. We have a gym too but I've never ventured down there, into the basement.'

'You don't like swimming?'

'No, I love it.' I smiled. 'It's kinda relaxing.'

'Really?' He scooped me up and I squealed, but my security guards just stood with their arms folded. Seb wasn't a threat. Well maybe...

'Put me down!' I squealed, wiggling about and then he did. In the water. The water was warm but I still screamed as I hit it, going underwater. My hair, make-up, shoes and dress were ruined. And soaked. 'Sebastien Olav Wilhelm!'

He rolled his eyes at my use of his full name as I swam over to the side of the pool. 'Here.' He said with a grin, holding out his hand to help pull me out. But, with all of my might, I pulled and he came tumbling in beside me. 'Faen!' He cursed and I giggled as I splashed him. 'What did you do that for?'

'You started it.' I said, folding my arms across my chest, aware that I wasn't wearing a bra and it might start to show.

'I wish I hadn't... this suit is Armani.'

'Too bad.' I stuck my tongue out, eyeing up his muscular chest as the shirt started to become see-through.

'I even colour-coordinated with you.'

'So I saw.' I smirked and he pulled me towards him before kissing me on the lips, this time not as gentle as before. It took me by surprise and I kissed him back, until I remembered we had company. I cleared my throat as I pulled away and signalled to my security guards.

'I suppose we'd better go. We can't go anywhere like this.' He said.

'Was that your plan?' I asked with a raised eyebrow.

'No, but it was too good an opportunity to pass it up.'

I turned to my guards, folding my arms back across my chest. 'Maurice, could you call Wilfred and tell him to come as fast as he can? And with some towels?'

'Of course your highness.'

When we found Tina and Zoe, they both were pretty busy. With two guys from chemistry class. So busy that they didn't notice we were sopping wet, even though everyone else did and I was sure pictures were being taken whilst our backs were turned. When I said we were leaving, they simply shrugged and said it was fine; they were going to go back to their dorm. I had a feeling that maybe they might not be alone. The car came quickly, as promised, and we bundled into the back seat, wrapping ourselves in towels whilst we shivered. It was cold.

'Fancied a swim, your highnesses?' Wilfred asked with a grin from the front seat as he turned on the heating in the car.

'I thought it was a nice night for a dip.' Seb replied with a smile and I laughed. I glanced up to see Wilfred looking at us in the rearview mirror. He met my eyes and smiled, a joyful smile, and I knew he liked Prince Sebastien already.

'Will your brother kill me?' Seb whispered a little too loudly when we reached my apartment door, dripping all over the floor and leaving a trail of water wherever we seemed to walk.

'Maybe if you're that loud.' I replied, stifling a giggle as I unlocked the door. Seb followed me in, pulling in his suitcase behind him. He closed the door and slipped the latch across. 'Are you drunk?' I asked and he shook his head.

'A little lightheaded or merry perhaps.' He smiled. 'But I think being soaking wet and in the cold woke me up a bit.'

'We're both going to get ill.' I laughed, taking off the wet towel and throwing it in the washing basket in my room. Seb looked hesitant and I realised he hadn't been in my apartment. 'Want the grand tour?'

'Sure.'

 _ **Zed.**_

Savannah danced around, shaking her hips and running her hands through her hair, looking at me. I should have been affected. I should have found the whole thing sexy. But the only image in my head was of Sky and that stupid Prince Sebastien soaking wet as they'd emerged from the pool. She'd looked gorgeous, as she always managed to, in her pretty dress with her hair all done nice, falling in curls down her back, just how I liked it. And she'd still look gorgeous as my blood has boiled and the irritated feeling filled my chest when I watched them dancing together, quickly and slowly. And then, they'd come back into the party soaking wet after ditching my performance. And her dress had stuck to her skin, her hair was soaked-through and her make-up was smudged. But she was still sexy as hell.

Then they had left together, hand-in-hand, soaking wet. It had made my stomach flip. I looked down at my hands and realised they were still clenched in fists at my side. What was the problem? Savannah was great and she was as hot as hell. Every guy in our school wanted to date her, pretty much. She winked across at me and I gave her an awkward smile back. I grabbed a beer from the kitchen counter and took a big swig as I tried to get the image of Sky and Sebastien out of my head. Why did he have to seem like an alright guy? He seemed to be a gentlemen, protecting Sky and looking at her like she was a rare flower. I supposed she was really. I hated him. I didn't know anything about him but I was sure I hated him. Because somehow, he'd won the heart of my soulfinder and the way her eyes lit up, the way she rested her head against his chest, the way he made her laugh. It was just unbearable.

 _ **Sky.**_

I woke up with my head on Seb's chest and I let out a sigh of content as the sunlight started to creep in through the curtains. There were no alarms to wake up for and there were no chambermaids to come and open the curtains, disturbing the moment. I listened to the gentle thudding of Seb's heart in his chest as his chest slowly moved up and down with each breath he took. I felt relaxed for the first time in a long time. Relaxed and safe.

'Good morning.' Seb whispered sleepily.

'Good morning.' I replied back as his fingers started to gently stroke the small of my back underneath my pyjama top. It was soothing.

'How did you sleep?'

'I had the best night's sleep in a long time.' I said, tilting my head up so I could see his face. 'You?'

'Me too.' He smiled and gently kissed my forehead. 'Can we stay like this all day?'

'Mmmm tempting.' I moved my face towards his, pressing his lips gently against mine. He smiled into the kiss and kissed me back, his hand cupping my face. Then the doorbell rang. 'Seriously? I'm not a princess today and you most definitely are not a prince today. It's our day off.'

He smiled before raising his eyebrows. 'Is that your brother or father come to kill me for being in bed with their daughter?'

'Being in my bed in the most innocent way possible.' I replied, kissing his cheek as the doorbell rang. 'Whoever it is, they're pretty impatient.' I slipped out of bed, grabbing my hoodie and pulling it over my pyjama top. Then I walked out onto the landing and opened the door.

'Good morning dear sis.' I groaned at Phillip as he tried to barge his way in the door and I blocked him off. 'What? Hungover?'

'No.' I replied. Then he spotted Seb's shoes.

'Company?' He went from being surprised to being disappointed.

'Sky, you know you really shouldn't be-'

'It's Seb.' I told him and he looked relieved.

'I didn't know he was flying over.'

'Neither did I.' I gave a small smile. 'It was a nice surprise.'

'Somewhat romantic.' He looked impressed and shoved me out of the doorway, walking into my flat. 'Where is my pal?'

'Showering.' I lied.

He glanced at the open bathroom door and I cursed in my head. Phillip gave me a suspicious look before opening the bedroom door. I held my breath but then, thankfully, Seb wasn't anywhere to be seen. And you could hear the shower in my ensuite bathroom. I tried to hide that I was relieved. 'Maybe next time he should use the guest bathroom.' My brother said and I wasn't sure if he was buying it. 'Although I must admit, your bathroom is nicer and you didn't throw up on the floor of that one at your Halloween party.'

I shuddered. 'Thanks for reminding me. So are you off out or...'

'Maybe I could stay for breakfast?' His phone started to buzz and he pulled it out of his pocket. He frowned before putting it away again. 'Can we reschedule breakfast? Father wants me to join him at the country club for a round of golf. God only knows why.'

'Male bonding?' I offered and he pouted. 'Don't worry brother, you'll see me soon enough.'

He looked towards the door to the ensuite bathroom and then back at me. 'I trust you and I trust Seb, but please be careful. I don't want your heart being broken again.'

Neither did I.


	27. It's been a long day without you

_**Zed.**_

I frowned at the newspaper on the living room table in Savannah's parent's mansion. Sky and Prince Sebastien were on the front page, the headline reading _'Match-made in Norway'._ They held hands as they walked past Kensington Palace the previous day, smiles on their faces and sunglasses shielding their eyes. Sky looked gorgeous with her curly hair flowing free and she was wearing a flowery dress that fell just above the knees and hugged her figure perfectly, as did her coat. I didn't want to read it. I covered the paper with another and folded my arms as Savannah walked into the room with a beer for me and a cocktail for her. She wiggled her hips when she walked along in her ripped skin-tight jeans and low-cut top and she purposely bent over in front of me, putting the drinks onto the table. The doorbell rang and she frowned, disappearing off.

I took a swig of beer and looked at the off television opposite me, the one that was a similar size to the one my 'rents had.

'I think you've been given some wrong information.' Savannah said from the hallway and I stood up, walking over to join her. After all, I was her boyfriend and sometimes that required kicking ass.

Two guys with light blonde hair stood in the doorway, looking formal in their suits with briefcases and ID badges. I squinted at the crest I didn't recognise.

'Wrong information? Miss, you're who we're looking for so if you'd step aside we'd like to ask you some questions.' Their voices, their accents, reminded me of _him_ and I frowned.

'Can I help you?' I said, irritated.

'And you are?'

'Zed Benedict.' I replied.

The two men looked at each other and then back at me. 'Then you can both come down the station for avoiding our phonecalls. We need to ask you about the newspaper article about the location of her royal highness Princess Sky. I'm sure you're aware just how serious it is that the princess and his royal highness Prince Sebastien are kept safe.'

I looked at Savannah and she visibly shrank, making me wonder if perhaps she had sold the story. And then, just like that, the big self-absorbed front broke down and she started to cry.

'You don't understand.' She sobbed. 'I told the papers because Sky is my friend and I was worried about her just like other people were.'

My heart sank and I held back a growl. How _dare_ Savannah risk Sky's life when the kidnapper were still out there? Because of her, Sky could have been hurt or killed. How dare she share some information that I'd given her in private? What else had she said? 'I can't believe you.' I hissed, feeling angry. 'You'd put someone's life at risk, for what, a few hundred quid?'

'You still loved her... you _still_ love her.' She sniffed, looking at me with hurt eyes. Hurt eyes that I didn't buy. 'I hoped it would keep her out of the way for a while.'

'We've heard enough.' One of the blonde Norwegian dudes said. 'Miss, you're coming with us.' He took her wrists and cuffed them together as she cried, before leading her off to a police car, which was guarded by the kind of cops I recognised.

Distraught and angry, I watched as Savannah was driven away.

'Dude, it's your fault Sky ditched you, remember that.' Nate said in band rehearsals for our UK tour just a few days later. I was glaring at an article about Sky and that stupid prince, an article about their appearance at a movie premiere the previous night. She wore a lilac dress with thin straps and a pouffy skirt that fell above the knees, her hair in a side ponytail and her eyes bright as always, living up to her surname.

'Don't remind me.' I groaned, running a hand through my hair and shoving my phone out of sight. 'Is she coming to our London show?'

'I doubt it.' Zack piped up and I looked at Nate for his response.

'Luce is coming and I know Tina is, but Zoe's at her parent's that weekend.'

'Has anyone asked Sky?' I questionned.

'Dude,' Nate gave me a sympathetic look, 'I don't think she's going to come... she _really_ doesn't like you.'

I walked out, slamming the door behind me in frustration.

 _ **Sky.**_

'Lovely to see you my dear.' My grandfather greeted me with a kiss on my cheek before turning to my boyfriend, who was stood beside me, the day before he was expected to fly back to Norway. 'And who is this fine young man?'

'Grandfather, this is Prince Sebastien of Norway.' I smiled, taking a step back. Of course, my grandfather already knew that. He'd assked me plenty of questions about him and he kept up-to-date by reading the papers.

'An honor to meet you sir.' Seb held his hand out and shook my grandfather's hand.

'A nice firm handshake.' My grandfather commented with a smile. 'Just like your grandfather.'

Seb smiled at the compliment. 'Thank you sir.'

'I'm surprised to see you, I must say. I thought Sky was keeping you away from the family.' My grandfather sat back down in his armchair, across from the sofa we perched ourselves on in the library. He coughed, a nasty cough that made me wince, and he covered his mouth with a tissue.

'I wanted Seb to meet you before he returns to Norway tomorrow.' I explained with a smile.

'It is lovely to meet you at last.' My grandfather tucked his tissue back into his jacket pocket and smiled as tea was poured for us. 'I have heard a lot about you. You are a brave, young man. Without you, we would probably not have our Sky back, so thank you.'

Seb gave a modest smile, his cheeks a little pink. 'It was the least I could do. Your granddaughter means a lot to me.'

I looked over at Seb and he smiled, squeezing my knee. My grandfather smiled back at us, content. 'I am glad to hear that.' He said, softly, before coughing again.

'Are you okay grandfather?' I asked. His cough was nasty and it worried me.

'Of course.' He smiled. 'I'm glad that you are here.' He relaxed in his chair. 'Sky, my dear, would you sing for me?'

He often asked me those days to sing or to play the piano. It seemed to relax him and often he would close his eyes and just listen to the melodies and notes, drifting off to some peaceful place that I was sure was a long way from the palace.

'Of course.'

Seb's flight back home was set to leave early the following day, so I was thankful to be spending his last night curled up at his side, his warmth radiating off of his skin, his heartbeat present in my ear. I couldn't help but notice, however, that he seemed more tense than normal and I was worried if grandfather had worried him; not that it should- we'd spent the day playing chess and talking with him before taking a stroll about the palace gardens together.

'I like your grandfather.' He told me suddenly with a smile and I knew that wasn't the issue. 'He's a lovely man and I'm sure he was a great King.'

'I'm sure he was.' I smiled back. The public had adored him. Most of them still did, even though he was no longer King. I looked at Seb, who had a sad expression on his face that made my heart sink. 'What's wrong?'

His eyes met mine and he sighed. 'I need to tell you something.' I held my breath, waiting for the break-up speech, the speak to say that it wasn't going to work or whatever. But that just wasn't it. 'In my family, it is traditional for male royalty to spend six months in service, working in the Royal Navy...' He paused for a moment. 'I should have told you this when you were in Norway, but it's time I served my country before I become King.'

My heart sank. Six months at sea, six months where I couldn't ensure his safety. 'When?'

'Monday.' His eyes softened.

'Easter Monday?' I blinked. That was just four days away. He gave a sad nod. 'Why didn't you tell me?'

'There never seemed a right time.' He ran his hand through my hair gently. 'I was hoping after what had happened that it could have been delayed, but father does not believe Ezra is a threat to me.'

'But he is to me.'

'I have no doubt that your father will keep you safe whilst I'm gone.' His face was serious but there was hurt there. 'I just wish... I wish I could have gone before I met you, because now I risk losing you... I can't ask you to wait six months for me, Sky.'

My stomach churned. 'You want to break up?'

'Of course not.' He looked taken aback and then he gave a sheepish smile. 'That's the last thing I want... I love you.' The words rolled off his tongue with ease and made me blush. 'But I can't expect you to wait for me. If you want to end things then I completely understand.'

I frowned. 'This is a lot to take in.'

'I know.' He kissed my forehead gently. 'I should have told you sooner. Then I realised earlier, when you were talking to your grandfather, that I was running out of time.'

'What if you get hurt?'

'I won't.' He said with a soft chuckle. 'I have an advantage I suppose.' Yes, superhuman healing powers.

I looked up at him again as his arms tightened around my waist. 'Promise me you'll return to me.'

He gave a small smile as his eyes met mine. 'I promise.'

The awful news that I wasn't going to see or speak to Prince Sebastien, other than the odd letter for six months hung over me like a dark cloud that weekend and I didn't think things could get much worse. Unfortunately, I was wrong. Easter weekend at the palace, with Sally and Simon joining as family members, seemed somewhat relaxed. We visited the service at Westminster on Sunday morning, had a roast diner and then had an Easter Egg hunt and croquet match, even though there were no children around. It had been a joyous occassion, although I had worried about grandfather continuing to cough and he seemed to be getting tired earlier than normal.

Easter Monday, a bank holiday for all, was the annual garden party held for Unicef. The Royal family were expected to be in attendance, as normal, as were other blue bloods, celebrities and those with larger wallets. This year the event was being held in Kensington, in the Roof Gardens, a venue I'd only ever heard rumours about. Lucy's mum and dad were going to the party, so she'd snuck round mine to get ready beforehand, the two of us becoming used to someone doing our hair and make-up for us. Then there were the outfits we had spent the last two weeks gossiping over; Lucy had opted for a white skirt with light blue flowers and a blue silk blouse tucked into it, stilettos on her feet and a white blazer to keep warm. My outfit was equally stylish; a light peach tulle skirt that fell just above the knee, and a cream blouse with pink and peach flowers on it, pearls around my neck and in my ears and nude coloured heels on my feet. It felt nice not wearing a ballgown for once and I was thankful for that; how many ballgowns did one girl need anyway?

We were taken by car with my brother, in a smart navy suit, to the Rooftop Gardens and I wasn't sure what I expected, but it wasn't what I saw. We found ourselves in a paradise above the city, flowers lining the path that led to a small bar in the centre. The Meditarrenean-inspired buildings lined the garden with small balconies and terraces, overlooking the main garden, which was already buzzing with guests in pastels and florals, contrasting with the bright surroundings. Through a secret passage led to the area we would be eating, with grand tables that reminding me of a wedding. Flamingos chilled by a pond and a giant chess set, which guests were already arguing over, champagne in their hands. There was an undercover area with a moroccan theme too, filled with comfy sofas and cushions and lit lanterns, despite being the middle of the day.

'I feel like I've stepped into Wonderland or the Secret Garden.' I said to my best friend and my brother, looking around. My mind drifted to Seb, who was heading off on his ship today. It wouldn't look anything like this where he was.

'It's rather bizarre, isn't it?' My brother commented with a chuckle from beside me. 'In the middle of Kensington and someone has made a garden that looks like it belongs in Italy or Spain.'

'Are the flamingos real?' Lucy blinked.

'Yes.' My brother nodded. 'See, that one has an itchy leg?'

'As long as we're not using them to play croquet.' I commented with a smile.

'I think we've seen enough of you playing croquet, my dear.' My grandfather's voice behind me took me by surprise. He smiled a warm smile and kissed my cheek. 'You look a lot better than your croquet skills.' He chuckled and I blushed.

'Coordination has always been a weakness of smile.' I sighed.

'I look forward to the summer polo match.' Phillip grinned and I elbowed him. 'Well, I suppose we'd better go off and mingle. Royal duties call.'

There were very few people I knew personally at the party, so I stuck with Lucy as she greeted people who knew her dad or her. There were some models I recognised, who greeted Lucy and I like long-lost friends, so we shared polite smalltalk with them, something which I was getting surprisingly good at. I found myself checking my phone every now and then, but I realised it was a habit that I needed to get out of and quickly; Seb wasn't going to be calling me or texting me anytime soon.

'Nate!' Lucy ran off to greet the love of her life, leaving me stood like a lemon. I sipped at the cocktail I was drinking, resisting the urge to pull out the raspberry and munch on it. Lady Clarence was there and I knew she would not have been impressed if I'd stuck my fingers into my drink to fish out a piece of fruit. She'd already glared at me when I'd clinked my glass against Lucy's a little too loudly.

'Sky?' I froze and my shoulders tensed at the familiar voice I didn't want to hear.

I turned around and smiled politely, aware that people were probably watching the Princess to see how she interacted with other people, 'famous' guests included. 'Zed.' I said in formal greeting, holding out my hand. He looked at it, puzzled, but then shook it anyway.

'How are you?' He asked.

'Fine thank you, yourself?'

He looked at me like I'd lost the plot, but then he didn't really know Princess Sky so well these days. 'I'm fine thank you.'

'I heard about Savannah.' I said, the first thing popping into my mind. I had heard. She'd been arrested, questionned and was now facing a hefty fine, community service and she'd been given a restraining order against me. If she'd been eighteen, risking my life could have been treason.

'I'm sorry.' He said, his eyes sympathetic. 'You tried to tell me and I should have listened. You were right.'

'I suppose I was.' I said, evenly, despite feeling angry. 'I never did trust Savannah.'

'And you were right not to.' He frowned. 'I still shouldn't have told her where you were though. That wasn't fair. Neither was how I spoke to you.'

'I completely agree. It was rude and uncalled for.' I folded my arms across my chest, keeping my best pokerface on. Guests would have no idea that I hated Zed and everything he stood for. 'It hurt me a lot.'

'I'm sorry.' He whispered. 'Can we start over?'

I looked at him, warily. 'I'm just not sure that's possible.'

For a few hours, I still felt irritated and my skin prickled from my conversation with Zed, but I knew I had done the right thing. Zed Benedict was fire and it was dangerous playing with him. It was better to keep away and have nothing to do with him. I spent time at the party meeting new people, speaking to the charity ambassadors (except for one third of the members of _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ of course) and tucking into good food. As guests started to leave as the air became cold, I found my grandfather sat on a bench by the pond by himself, looking weary.

'Are you tired grandfather? Because I can take you back to the palace.' I offered, sitting down beside him.

He gave a small smile as he adjusted the tweed jacket I was wearing. 'You're always fussing over me, dear. Don't let me ruin your fun.'

'You're not.' I replied. 'The truth is, I'm not really having fun anymore.'

'You're missing Sebastien.' He stated and I simply nodded. 'Although that other boy, the tall one with the dark hair, seems to be pining for you too.'

'Ew.' I wrinkled my nose and he laughed softly.

'You've come a long way from that girl I first had tea with, the one that vomitted when she found out she was a princess.' He smiled. 'But she's still in there and every now and then she makes an appearance and it brings me such joy. Don't ever lose yourself, will you, Sky Bright? Princess Sky is wonderful and a good role model for girls everywhere, but I love the girl who wears those scruffy shirts and old jeans just as much.'

My eyes felt teary for some reason and I smiled at him. 'Thank you, that means a lot.'

His eyes twinkled, the eyes he'd passed onto my father and then onto my brother and I, but then he started to cough. He didn't get the handkerchief ready in time. Blood splattered out onto his hand and my eyes widened.

'Grandfather?' But he couldn't stop coughing. He kept on coughing, trying to cover it up, trying to blot it with the old handkerchief with the royal crest embroidered onto it, and his face paled. I spotted one of our security guards. 'Help!' I called and he ran over. 'You have to call an ambulance.' And then my grandfather collapsed beside me.

I paced in the hospital with Phillip whilst our father was in talking to the doctor. Tears streamed down my cheeks and some mascara, and blood also, had already stained my perfect spring outfit, a forever reminder of what had happened. Phillip reached out for me and I crumbled as I cried against his shoulder. I knew the cough had been a bad sign. I'd told him to go to a doctor, but why hadn't he? Now he was back in Intensive Care, where he'd been less than a month ago. Father came out, bags under his eyes and his face pale, new wrinkles forming on his creased forehead. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a breath as he looked at us, his two children.

'What is it, father?' Phillip asked, his voice strained.

'Your grandfather has lung cancer.' He said, his voice hoarse. 'I told him all those cigarettes and cigars would be the death of him.'

I sniffed and Phillip tried to soothe me by running a hand through my hair. 'Is he...'

'He's hidden this for over a year.' My father said and I knew he was hurting. 'Not told a soul, other than the doctors who knew of course. He's unconscious and they don't think he's going to wake up. Not this time.'

I felt Phillip shake against me and I knew he too was crying as he held me. 'Can we see him?'

'The doctors say he can still hear, but his breathing is... rattling. It's not a pleasant sound.'

'I want to see him.' My brother said, firmly. 'Sky?'

'Me too.' I managed to get out.

It was clear that this time he wasn't going to make it. His breath rattled, as my father had said, and it sounded force as his heart rate beeped on the machine. Tubes were in him, a drip attached, and the doctor spoke to my father about finding him a private room to make him comfortable. I sank down in the chair beside my grandfather, looking at his clammy forehead, his almost-grey face and his hands, which were sweaty to touch.

'Grandfather?' Phillip spoke first. 'I really hope you can hear me like the doctors say.' His voice sounded pained and a tear rolled down the cheek of my brother, the one who always seemed so strong. 'I want you to know that you have been the best grandfather I have ever had. I know it sounds cliche and I know you would tell me so, but it's true. You taught me to fence, to play polo, to ride my bike...' His voice shook. 'So many things and one day I hope I can lead this country as well as you did. It's an honor to have a name from you and I will forever hold that piece in my heart.' The tears rolled down his cheeks and he couldn't say anymore, but I don't think he needed to.

Despite the sweat, I took my grandfather's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. 'I've not known you for long. In fact our life together has been so very short, but you've always believed in me and you took me in and treated me like I'd been part of your family for all this time.' Salt from my tears burnt my tongue as I cried. 'Thank you so much grandfather, for all the love and attention, for making me feel like I truly belonged and showing me that I can be a princess.' Phillip gave me a small smile from across the room and I started to sing. ' _It's been a long day without you my friend, but I'll tell you all about it when I see you again. We've come a long way, from where we began, oh I'll tell you all about it when I see you again.'_

That night, in a private room filled with flowers and his family, The Duke of Edinburgh, Former King Albert II slipped away.

 _ **Zed.**_

'We interrupt this broadcast for some terrible news. Last night, The Duke of Edinburgh and England's former King, Albert II died.' My head shot up to look at the television screen as they showed the note being put up outside the Palace and then there was the statement which had just been released by the Palace online. 'The Duke was suffering from lung cancer, but kept this from his family and country not wanting to cause concern. He was taken ill at Unicef's annual Garden Party yesterday afternoon and was taken to the Royal Wing at Alexandra Hospital. Unfortunately, there was little the doctors could do and he passed away peacefully surrounded by his loved ones. The Royal family have asked that their privacy be respected in this very difficult time.'

I turned off the television as a shot showed flowers being placed outside of the palace. My heart sank as I thought of poor Sky. She'd been with him at the garden party, I'd seen them talking, just moments before the ambulance had turned up. Had he shared his last words with her? The thought was heartbreaking and my heart ached for her.

 _Sky?_

I tried to contact her but she didn't reply and I wasn't surprised. I was sure she must be broken. She'd spoken a lot of that man and they'd spent a lot of time together since he had met with her and told her the truth. I'd never met him, but he'd always seemed a nice guy. Trusting, loyal, kind, caring. Like he saw the good in everyone. I wondered if Prince Sebastien was going to leave the navy and fly over to comfort her. Was he allowed to do that? Probably not.

 _ **Sky.**_

I felt numb. Just a week and a half before my seventeenth birthday, my grandfather, my one and only grandfather, had passed away from the disease that killed so many people every single day. I'd been sick. I'd cried a lot. I'd probably lost weight from lack of appetite and I knew from Hannah's concerned face that I looked awful as I refused to leave the bedroom in the palace. Lucy had been to visit, giving my family some flowers, and she'd tried to cheer me up by talking about the 50s birthday party I'd planned for my closest friends. But that just didn't matter anymore. I didn't want a party. I didn't want to do anything.

Father, Phillip and Roseanna looked just as tired, but they kept busy by putting their efforts into the Royal funeral. It was going to be held at Westminster Abbey, as all Royal weddings and funerals were, but there was still so much to arrange. Guests had to be invited, the press had to be informed, outfits had to be ordered, as did flowers and coffins. They seemed to move like clockwork and I only saw them at dinner time, when no one exchanged a single word.

My friends returned to school the following Monday, the Easter holidays over with for another year, but I stayed at the palace, preparing myself for Tuesday's funeral. When I woke on the dreaded day, the black skater dress and cardigan hung on my wardrobe, almost taunting me. Despite Hannah and Clara's best efforts, I got dressed in silence, letting them brush my hair and apply some waterproof make-up. They slipped a black alice band into my hair and I slipped my feet into my court shoes, wordlessly, realising I hadn't really spoken to anybody in days. Then it was time to go. I met my family, out in the courtyard and we stood as the gun carriage approached, my grandfather's coffin and a union jack flag and wreath of white flowers on top. The black horses halted and the soldiers took their position in front of and behind the carriage. The black car for the family pulled up and we all got inside, wordlessly. Phillip took my hand, holding it gently, for his own benefit and for mine too.

The journey to Westminster took longer than I wanted and my stomach churned, my eyes watering, as hundreds of people lined the streets, paying their respects. They held flags, not waving them, and their heads hung, those wearing hats had taken them off as we passed. When we arrived at Westminster Abbey, we headed inside as the coffin was closely guarded, and flowers led the way inside, lining the steps. I followed my father and the Queen inside, mutely, and they gave false smiles as they greeted the guests who had come to pay their respects. I spotted, to my surprise, King Aleksander and Queen Elena, and they gave a small smile before bowing their heads. Lolly was there too and she hurried over, breaking all the rules by pulling me into a hug. She didn't say anything, but she didn't need to. She smoothed my hair and held me tight, before pulling away. Then I saw him...

Prince Sebastien stood in his navy uniform, already a medal on his chest. He lowered his hat when he saw me, his eyes filled with worry and concern and his aura matching that. I hurried over to him, this time breaking the rules myself as he held me tight, letting me sob all over his smart, new jacket. He placed a kiss on top of my head and simply whispered, 'I'm so sorry Sky.'

Grandfather would have loved the grand and traditional funeral right down to the flowers, which were his favourite. The eulogies were good, the songs were about loving life and celebrating it and then there was the part I had to play. Two thousand people sat, waiting, as I walked to the piano at the front of the room, the heels of my shoes echoing in the grand Abbey. I sat down, nerves and emotion overwhelming me and I took a few deep breaths. Seb gave me a reassuring smile from his pew and I knew I had to do it.

'My grandfather always asked me to sing for him.' I managed to say into the microphone. 'Grandfather, I hope you're listening because this one is for you.' I played the opening notes and closed my eyes, imagining the man with the deep blue eyes and laughter lines was sat watching me. _'Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high_

 _There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby_

 _Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue_

 _And the dreams that you dare to dream,_

 _Really do come true.'_

I thought of my nerves the first time we'd met. I thought of his kind eyes and kind smiles as he cleaned up the vomit I'd got everywhere after finding out I was a princess.

 _'Someday I'll wish upon a star_

 _And wake up where the clouds are far behind me._

 _Where troubles melt like lemon drops,_

 _High above the chimney tops,_

 _That's where you'll find me.'_

I thought of his smiles and his relaxed expression whenever I had sang or when we had played chess together.

 _'Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly_

 _Birds fly over the rainbow_

 _Why then, oh why can't I?_

 _If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow_

 _Why, oh why can't I?'_

A tear rolled down my cheek as I finished, my mind slipping back to his last words, the words he had spoken to me. And then, as I thought of the short time we'd had together, I wept for all of those years I had lost.

The wake was a small gathering at the palace and not all of the guests from Westminster Abbey were invited, which I was thankful for. Lots of them were just faces to me, faces in a crowd who I didn't know. They'd been kind, though, and had told me my granddad would be proud after the funeral had been carried out, ready to join the other kings and queens from the past in their tomb. I'd said my final goodbye to the coffin, my hand placed on it as I thanked my grandfather for everything, as I had done in the hospital before he'd taken his last breath. Then the guests had queued to pay their respects to my family before we returned to our palace. I didn't join everyone in the ballroom. Instead, I found myself in the library, sat down looking at the chess set I had played on with my grandfather, as the grief overwhelmed me.

'Oh, Sky.' Seb whispered, appearing beside me and pulling me close to him.

'You're supposed to be on a boat.' I mumbled into his chest and he let out a soft chuckle.

'I am, you're right. But I had to be here for you.' He kissed my forehead gently.

'When do you have to go back?' I looked at him and his eyes looked sad.

'Tonight.' He said. 'I'm so sorry. They would only let me come for the day.'

'It's okay.' I replied, but really it wasn't. I needed him, but unfortunately his country and service had to come first.

I went back to school on Thursday. I wasn't ready to do so, but I needed to be busy and sitting around in the palace where there were so many memories was just too much. My father and brother had thrown themselves back into work too, my father flying off to France for some meeting with the EU and my brother heading up to Scotland for some events I couldn't remember the subject of. My classmates gave me concerned looks and offered their condolences as I moved from class-to-class, before spending the evenings stuck in the library. On Friday night, when I was sent out of the library at closing time, the girls intervened.

'Sky you can't go on like this.' Lucy said, her face and voice filled with concern.

'It's hard and we totally get that. We want to be there for you but you're just hiding out and pushing us away.' Tina added, squeezing my arm.

I grabbed my pyjamas from my dresser and fiddled with them. 'I'm just keeping busy.'

'You're going to make yourself ill.' Lucy frowned. 'You need to give yourself time, stop over-working it.'

'And it would be nice to do something for your birthday, wouldn't it?' Zoe offered.

'I don't want to celebrate tomorrow.' I told them. 'Or at all. I'd rather just get my studying done.'

The girls looked at each other, a worried expression on their faces. 'You've already missed Zed's party.' Tina told me. 'Don't miss your own.'

'I didn't want to go to Zed's anyway.'

'I totally get that.' Lucy said. 'But this is your birthday. Your granddad would want you to enjoy it.'

'You don't know what he'd want.' I snapped and I stormed out.

I spent the night in my apartment in Kensington, alone, and when I woke up after another patchy night of sleep, it was my birthday and the day of the party I was no longer having. I didn't feel any different at seventten. I still felt sick. I grabbed a baggy jumper, throwing it on over my pyjamas and I walked out into the apartment, freezing when I reached the landing. There were balloons in the living room and Sally and Simon were sat there, with Phillip and Roseanna, watching something absurd on the television.

'Happy Birthday!' They chorused when I walked into the room. I spotted presents lying about and I frowned.

'Turn that frown upside-down sunshine, it's your birthday!' My brother smiled but I just glared. 'Come on Sky, we're trying here.'

'I know it's hard sweetie, but it's your special day.' Sally piped up.

'It doesn't feel very special.'

'I think you should look at this first.' Phillip handed me a letter and I recognised the handwriting instantly; it was grandfather's. 'There was this and some presents for you left in his room at the palace.' He gave a small smile. 'There was a letter for me too.'

I turned the letter over in my hand, before leaving the room and returning to my bedroom for privacy. I sat down on the bed and opened the envelope carefully, not wanting to tear his writing. I picked up the letter and held back the tears as I started to read it.

 _My dear Sky,_

 _I write this letter incase I am not around on your seventeenth birthday as I would like to be. I know you have a special day planned with your family and friends and I want you to continue with that, whatever should happen._

 _When your father had that affair all those years ago, I was furious with him. Elena was a wonderful Queen and a kind-hearted person and I could not believe that your father would risk losing her. His love for your mother was clear, but I was still very angry for what he had done. That was until I found out that your mother had had a daughter, one that your mother had tried to keep hidden because she was afraid of what would happen to you. I knew in that moment that, even if your father did not want to, I would keep searching for you until I found you. So I hired private investigators and searched for years until I found you, knowing that I needed to before I died. I've known about the cancer for a long time now, a year to be precise, and I knew that the doctors were unable to help. It was too far spread. I didn't want to worry any of you or cause you any burder, so I kept it hidden and I hoped that we'd meet before I passed. Thankfully, we did and it has been an honor getting to know you._

 _I never thought I would say I am glad for my son's mistake but I am, because it has given our family you. I know you were afraid at first, we all were, but you rose to the challenge and were willing to face your fears. Even when you were kidnapped and I was afraid I'd lost my only granddaughter, you returned here with such grace and lived your life as if you were not afraid. Sky, you are fearless. You are strong, beautiful, intelligent. Do not let anybody tell you any different. Our country is lucky to have you and although you won't be Queen of England, you'll be a wonderful leader one day as England's princess._

 _Promise me that whatever happens, you'll be happy and keep living life to the full because it's too short my dear._

 _And if I'm not there for your birthday, please forgive me and please go to your party anyway because otherwise you won't be able to wear your gifts!_

 _All my love, always,_

 _Grandfather Albert xx_

I wiped my tears as I put down the page, careful not to stain it with tears. He was right. I'd shown I was strong and brave and now I needed to show it. He wouldn't want me like this. He'd want me happy, a leader. I took a deep breath and walked back into the living room, where my two families, now including my father, were sat waiting, patiently. Despite my attitude, they didn't seem bothered and they all smiled when I walked in. I sat down and opened the presents my grandfather had wrapped perfectly for me and my heart fluttered as I did so. Inside the first box was a beautiful blue strapless dress with huge net skirt made up of ruffled lace layers. The note inside made me smile. _For a perfect princess, a dress from the 1950s worn by my princess, your grandmother._ The dress was perfectly vintage and beautiful and it made my insides warm. There were little white lacey gloves with it too and my father looked surprised.

'That dress was my mothers.' He said. I nodded and he smiled. 'It will look lovely on you.' I smiled back at my father, relaxing with his approval as I opened the next present, which was by far the grandest; a diamond necklace with pear-shaped aquamarines in a delicate box. It was heavy, proving it was real. I swallowed; _It will match your tiara perfectly. Time to start a new tradition for our new princess._

A tear rolled down my cheek, except this time I don't think it was sadness. More joy, perhaps. I looked over at my brother and he gave me his lopsided smile that Tina loved too much. 'Phil?'

'Yes?'

'Can you call my friends? I think there's a party that needs to be finalised.'


	28. Walk right back to me this minute

_**AN: Sorry was supposed to post this last night but ended up going out in London to the Borderline for my friend's gig and then only just got home as spent the day walking around London, visiting the palace and taking in the tourist sights- love an impromtu visit to London. See my photos on instagram princessluceia.**_

Sally and Simon's birthday treat for me was used up that afternoon; I had a vintage makeover with Lucy at a top beauty salon in London, both of us being made into pin-up girls effectively with our victory rolls, red lipstick and perfect winged-eyeliner. My tiredness wasn't clear thanks to my make-up and my mood had lifted. After our makeover, we'd headed back to my apartment and got dressed into our outfits. Lucy looked fabulous in a halterneck bodycon dress, which was white with pink spots, and I wore the dress that my grandmother had worn many years ago, which fitted me like a glove. I didn't wear the grand jewellery my grandfather had given me as it wasn't the right occasion, so I'd opted for simple pearls that matched the cream heels I was wearing. Lucy took some pictures of the two of us and then a full-length one of me, which I quickly posted to Instagram.

 _Thanks for all of your kind wishes for my family and I during the difficult couple of weeks we have had. Today is my birthday and after reading the kind words my grandfather wrote for me in a letter, he has reminded me that life is too short to hide away so I'm going to celebrate him and my grandmother this evening. Even though I never met her, my grandfather left me this dress in her memory. It's nice to have these special pieces of my family to cherish- I hope you're lucky enough to have the same._

My birthday party was being held at a diner in central London, which had been closed off just for my party. I felt like I was in Grease when I stepped inside, finding Sally, Simon, Elena and my father already waiting there. The diner had black and white checked tiled floors and red leather booths, each with a white table and a mini jukebox decoration on it. There was a real jukebox tucked by a space that had been cleared of tables and chairs and made into a dancefloor and yummy food, including mini burgers and little pots of curly fries, was laid out on the counter, where the waitor and cook stood, smiles on their faces. They both bowed to me in greeting and I said hello before hugging each of my 'parents.' It was perfect. Helium balloons were spread around, matching the theme and there was a backdrop hung in the corner with 50s props below it, perfect for a photoshoot, and a cameraman stood on standby ready to capture everything.

'My mother's dress suits you.' My father said with a small smile that made me wonder if he was uncomfortable. I was surprised he'd come at all. I was even more surprised that, like his wife and my adoptive parents, he'd dressed to match the theme.

'Thank you all for coming.' I said with a smile.

'We're not staying the whole time.' Elena assured me. 'Just the first hour and then it's free for you kids.'

'We don't want to cramp your style.' Sally added.

'You'd never do that.' I told them with a laugh.

'Who are you and what have you done with Sky?' Simon teased. 'You used to find us embarassing.'

'Oh I still do!' I reassured him. 'But I also appreciate you more than I used to. Guess I'm growing up.' Sally sniffed and I squeezed her arm. 'Don't start crying on me now.'

'You just look so lovely.' She sniffed.

I stopped the emotional moment by choosing a song on the jukebox by inserting a token from the side. Straight away 'Surfin' USA' blared out and I smiled as Lucy grabbed my hand and hoisted me to the photobooth.

The guests started to arrive soon after that. I'd not invited many of them, but just the people I wanted there; Nate, Yves, Zack, Tina, Zoe, Taylor (Swift- eek!) and a few other guys and girls from my school that I got on well with. Sadly, Lolly had an exam coming up the following week, an important one all seventeen-year-olds in Norway had to take, so she wasn't able to join us, but I promised to send her plenty of pictures. My brother turned up too, of course, and soon the party was in full swing. We posed for pictures together, drank the tastiest milkshakes I'd ever had complete with cream and cherries, and then soon after that my four 'parents' left us to it, making it a teenage party. In the photo area, I felt like a model. I posed sipping my milkshake and then sharing one with Lucy. I posed holding the net of my skirt. I posed with Taylor, pretending to be on the retro phone together and listening to some gossip. I posed in a long line with my girl friends, sat at the bar with our milkshakes. And then we posed giving our best pin-up poses. I wasn't sure if I felt more Marilyn or more Audrey, but either way, I felt good and I couldn't believe I'd almost missed my party.

 _'For goodness sake_

 _I got the hippy hippy shake_

 _I've got to shake_

 _Who the hippy hippy shake.'_

Lucy and I danced together, shaking our hips and twirling each other around to the music, shaking our hips in time to the music as we laughed, getting lost in the music.

'Mate, you're not on the list.' My security guard's voice caught me by surprise and I turned my head, trying to see who was behind the blacked-out window.

'Please, just let me see Sky.'

I recognised the voice straight away and I frowned as I walked over. 'Zed?'

'Oh boy. I didn't think he _actually_ was going to come.' Yves sighed from behind me and I shot him a curious look. 'I thought he was kidding.' He shrugged.

I peered at Zed from behind my security guard. He stood with his guitar case looking like Danny Zuko in black skinny jeans, black converse, a black v-neck t-shirt and a leath jacket, the front of his hair even styled in an almost-quiff. I hated to admit it, but he looked good. 'What are you doing here?'

He looked awkward and he gave a small smile. 'Happy birthday!' He held out a small wrapped present. 'I got you something.'

'Zed, what are you doing here and why are you dressed like a T-Bird?'

He gave a crooked smile. 'I guess I was hopin' maybe you'd let me into your party. I wanted to see you.'

'So you decided you'd gatecrash my party?'

'Bro, you're making an idiot of yourself. Go before Sky's guys beat you to a pulp!' Yves called out from behind me.

'You only invited two thirds of _Seven minutes in heaven_.' He said, looking offended.

'You and I are hardly friends these days.' I folded my arm across my chest.

'Your highness, would you like us to get rid of him?' Dylan, my new head of security asked, signalling to Zed.

'If you won't let me in then I'll just have to sing part of your birthday present out here.' He said, reaching for his guitar case.

'Sing?' I squinted at the paparazzi across the road. That was going to make a great story _. Princess serenaded by Bad Boy on Birthday._ I flinched. 'You don't really mean that, do you?'

'Try me.'

'Oh for gods sake, just let him in.' I sighed and he grinned, knowing he'd won. Security checked his bag, patted him down and let him into the diner. I turned to see my friends staring at me, surprised expressions on their faces. 'What?' I said to Lucy.

'Nothing.' She gave a shy smile and walked away, leaving me to confront my gatecrasher.

'Sweet place.' Zed commented and I turned on my heels to look at him, folding my arms once again.

'It is, yes.'

He looked around, taking in the surroundings and then his eyes landed on a milkshake and a hot dog. Typical guy. 'Great, I'm starved!' He hurried over to the food and then paused, looking my way. He patted the stool next to him. 'Want to sit?'

'No, but I want to know why you crashed my party.' I replied, so I went and sat beside him anyway.

'I'm here to wave a peace flag.' He said, sheepishly.

' _You're_ here to wave a peace flag? Shouldn't that be _me_ after what you've done and what you've said?'

He looked down at the floor, the familiar sensitive Zed shining through, one I hadn't seen in a very long time. 'I want to apologise. I wish none of it had ever happened. I wish I'd shown you how much I cared and I wish I hadn't let you go.' He pushed the small package towards me and I looked at it, warily. 'I don't expect you to open it here, but it's my peace offering.'

'It's not your new CD, is it?' I asked, biting my lip nervously.

'No.' He chuckled. 'I'm not that stingy. Besides, I brought music with me.' He signalled to his guitar and I gave it a once-over.

'I don't think that the Beach Boys or Buddy Holly is in your music collection.'

'Then, your highness, you don't know me as well as you think.' He gave a cocky smile. 'Nate, turn that jukebox off would you?'

'Oh god, are you actually going to sing?' I winced as his friend rolled his eyes, walking over to the pretty machine.

'Sure. It's the other part of your present.' He smiled. 'Why? Is there something wrong with my voice?'

Yes. It's sexy and husky and girls love it. Myself included. But I wasn't about to admit that. Damn hormones. Being a teenage girl sucked. 'Yes.' I said, partially the truth.

'Well that's too bad.' He pulled out his guitar and the guests looked at him, confused as he placed it across his lap. I scooched out of my stool and walked over to Lucy, folding my arms.

'What's he doing?' Tina whispered from behind me.

'God only knows.' I whispered back.

As soon as he started the chords I knew what the song was and I already knew I was dreading it before he'd even started to sing. I'd underestimated him. And I wanted to run, but that was rude. And it would show him that even after all this time, he had some weird kind of hold on me, one that I kept trying to push away but it wouldn't budge. _'Well its been building up inside of me_

 _For oh I don't know how long_

 _I don't know why but I keep thinking_

 _Something's bound to go wrong_

 _But she looks in my eyes_

 _And makes me realize_

 _When she says:_

 _Don't worry baby_

 _Don't worry baby_

 _Everything will turn out alright_

 _Don't worry baby_

 _Don't worry baby_

 _Don't worry baby.'_

His voice was totally melt-worthy and the other girls from our class visibly swooned as he sang, putting all of his heart and emotion in. I could have killed Nate and Zack when they joined in with harmonies.

 _'I guess I should've kept my mouth shut_

 _When I started to brag about my car_

 _But I can't back down now because_

 _I pushed the other guys too far_

 _She makes me come alive_

 _And makes me want to drive_

 _When she says:_

 _Don't worry baby_

 _Don't worry baby_

 _Don't worry baby_

 _Everything will turn out alright_

 _Don't worry baby_

 _Don't worry baby_

 _Don't worry baby_

 _Don't worry baby.'_

It was the longest few minutes of my life and I knew I was as red as my lipstick by the end because I felt hot and flushed. Everyone applauded and Zed took a cocky bow, reminding me just why things hadn't worked out. As the music came back on, blaring back out of the jukebox, I hurried off to the bathroom, wanting to hide. I looked at myself in the mirror and groaned. It was lucky that Seb wasn't there. Despite being a prince, I knew he probably would have punched Zed and who could blame him? My ex had just sang _to_ me.

'Sheesh.' Lucy said, appearing beside me. 'That was... tense.'

'Why the heck is he here?'

'Because he wants to make things right.' She looked sympathetic beside me. 'He made a mistake and now he realises that.'

'Now I'm with Seb and Savannah's been kicked out of school?' I raised my eyebrows.

'Sky, when you were gone, when you'd been kidnapped I think he realised he'd made a mistake. He was blaming himself, saying you'd never gone to the London Eye with Seb if he hadn't been a dick. He was a mess. In some ways he still is.'

'Are you sticking up for him?'

'Of course not. He was a douche and he has issues.' She folded her arms and frowned. 'But he still cares about you and it's clear he wants to be a part of your life whether that's friends or more... although now you've got Seb and that complicates things I supposed.' I frowned and she sighed. 'I like Seb, I really do, but he's just _so_ wonderful. Too wonderful maybe? Too perfect.'

'You're team Zed.' It was a statement not a question.

'I'm Team Sky.' She replied with a small smile. 'I'm Team whatever makes you happy.'

'How the hell am I going to go back out there?' I asked and she pulled out a hip flask from her handbag.

'With a little liquid courage?'

'Lucy!' I gasped and she chuckled.

'Oh come on, I know I act all innocent but surely you know me well enough to know I like to shake things up a little. What's a seventeenth birthday without a little whiskey?'

I took a swig and coughed as my throat burned. ' _Straight_ whiskey?!' I winced.

'You didn't have to take such a big gulp!' She laughed, tucking the hipflask away. 'Ready to go back out their soldier?' I nodded and we left the bathroom.

The party went on for another hour or so and people were still buzzing when our time at the venue was up and it was getting late. So, probably because of the whiskey, I made a crazy decision.

'Party back at mine!' I called out and everyone cheered. Phillip walked over to me, a wary look on his face. 'You're not about to go all big brotherly on me, are you?' I asked with a frown.

'No.' He smiled, shaking his head. 'I'll call some extra cars. Oh, and I've got beer and booze in the fridge.'

The cars dropped us back at the apartment, where Lucy, Tina and Zoe were spending the night with me anyway, and we took back left over cakes and balloons too. I set the balloons free in the living room whilst the male guests helped Phillip grab the alcohol and then, despite the almost disapproving looks of my security, they returned and the karaoke started. It started quite tame and I sang my heart out with my friends before a few of the guys took over, once they'd finished their beer. Then Zed Benedict had to go and be... well... Zed Benedict.

'Sing with me.' He said, a cocky grin on his face as he put down his beer bottle. Why had I allowed him to come in my apartment again?

'No.' I replied. I took another swig of my beer and wished I hadn't decided to mix beer and whiskey. Ick. It probably wasn't going to end well, was it? But then, in that moment, I wasn't too worried about puking on Zed Benedict. Again.

'It wasn't a question.' He smiled.

'If I had a pound everytime you said that then-'

'Sing. With. Me.'

Then the drunken chanting started and I realised I didn't really have a choice in the matter. Thanks friends. Thanks a lot. He passed me a microphone and grabbed one himself, flipping it around in his hand as he chose a track. I held my breath, hoping it wasn't going to be a love song or something crap.

The introduction to Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars started up and Zed gave me a sly smile. What on earth was he up to? Either way, I was going to rock the performance. And I was going to sing how people hadn't heard before; with a little bit of huskiness and edge.

 _'This hit_

 _That ice cold_

 _Michelle Pfeiffer_

 _That white gold.'_ I sang first and my friends cheered in response whilst Zed raised his eyebrows in surprise. He didn't know I had it in me.

 _'This one, for them hood girls_

 _Them good girls_

 _Straight masterpieces.'_ He sang back in response in his perfect cookie-cutter boyband voice.

 _'Stylin', while in_

 _Livin' it up in the city.'_ We sang together, our voices blending perfectly and annoyingly as they always did.

 _'Got Chucks on with Saint Laurent_

 _Got kiss myself I'm so pretty.'_ Zed winked and I rolled my eyes.

 _'I'm too hot_

 _Called a police and a fireman.'_ Cue me moving my hips in what I hoped was a sexy Fifth-Harmony-style fashion.

 _'I'm too hot_

 _Make a dragon wanna retire man.'_

 _'I'm too hot_

 _Say my name you know who I am_

 _I'm too hot_

 _Am I bad 'bout that money_

 _Break it down.'_

I hated to admit it, but the performance kinda rocked. As I sang, I ran my hands through my hair and danced around to the instrumentals, as did Zed, rocking out like we were on a stage. When the song ended, our friends applauded and I took a grand bow, almost stumbling over. Oops. Maybe the alcohol was starting to get to my head.

 _'I got this feeling on the summer day when you were gone._

 _I crashed my car into the bridge. I watched, I let it burn._

 _I threw your shit into a bag and pushed it down the stairs._

 _I crashed my car into the bridge._

 _I don't care, I love it._

 _I don't care.'_

I downed the shot Lucy gave me and we danced with Tina, Zoe and Taylor, jumping up and down in time to the music, shaking our heads and our hips.

 _'I got this feeling on the summer day when you were gone._

 _I crashed my car into the bridge. I watched, I let it burn.'_

Lucy grabbed my hand and climbed onto the sofa, hoisting me up with her.

 _'I threw your shit into a bag and pushed it down the stairs._

 _I crashed my car into the bridge.'_

We jumped, singing and dancing and I let all of my cares go.

 _'I don't care, I love it._

 _I don't care.'_

'Sky!' Phillip grabbed my arm as the song ended and I stumbled, falling into my brother as my foot missed the edge of the sofa. 'Bloody hell sis!' He chuckled. 'I think you've partied pretty hard.'

'I'm having a blast!' I called back as my guests danced around me. Lucy continued dancing on the sofa and I cheered up at her.

'It's 1am.' He told me with a chuckle. 'I think it's time for people to go.'

'You've clearly not had enough to drink!' I replied.

He raised his eyebrows. 'I'm the responsible one here, of course I've not had much to drink. I had to keep an eye on you, especially with Zed here. I don't trust him. Not one bit.'

And he didn't even know we had that kind of history. 'I don't trust him either.'

'Mmmhmm.' I stumbled again and he helped me up. 'I think it's time for bed.'

'Nooo!'

'Sky...' He warned and I frowned at the future king of England.

'Spoilsport.'

He unplugged my iPod and the guests groaned. 'Right everyone, it's late. Hometime.' Cue more groaning. 'Come on, get out of here!'

My disgruntled guests, high on life and alcohol, said goodbye to me one by one and then they made their way out of the door. I turned away from Nate kissing Lucy and Zed approached me, taking it as his chance to pounce.

'Nice party.' He said with a cocky smile.

'You won this time but it won't always be like that.' I told him, warily. 'Now go home.'

His smile became lopsided. 'Sure thing, Bright. Laters.'

'Laters Benedict.'

The sound of my doorbell ringing over and over woke me the next day and I was aware that my head was throbbing. Like a bitch. I stood up, careful not to trip over my sleeping girl friends, which also had somehow included Taylor, and I walked out into the landing, aware that my hair was probably an awful mess. I paused as my head spun. Was I still drunk or was it just the alcohol making my morning an absolute nightmare? Either way, I was sure I'd slept like an absolute baby. The doorbell rang again and I groaned. Who the hell was so god damn impatient on a Sunday morning?

I opened the door and blinked. 'Father?' My voice came out croaky. Probably from too much singing.

'Sky.' He looked at me, warily and then his eyes widened as he looked behind me. 'What on earth...' He moved past me and I cursed inwardly when I saw that my landing and living room had become a glitter haven with confetti everywhere, party popper guts and balloons. Then there were the beer bottles. Lots of them. Shit. 'Did you have a party here?' He asked.

I swallowed. 'Just a few people after the diner...'

'And you were drinking? Underage?' Shit again. I nodded, mutely, and he gave me a disapproving look. 'You are aware aren't you that you're _royalty_... a _princess_... and as your father and the King of England _I_ sign laws including ones which state you should not drink under the age of eighteen.' I nodded mutely again. What could I say? 'I was thinking that you and I were starting to get along.'

'I'm sorry.' I whispered, looking down at my feet. 'It was just a few friends and I'm going to clean all of this up.'

'This is not something you should be doing. You are expected to be innocent and a lady, _not_ some crazy party reveller.' His voice was becoming more and more angry and I didn't like it. 'This could ruin your image.'

'But no one needs to know.' I squeaked.

'I was coming over here to deliver your birthday present.' He held up a set of car keys and I blinked. He'd bought me a car? 'Because I was impressed with how well you had handled things in Norway and how helpful your relationship with Prince Sebastien is proving to be.'

'I've already told you. It's a real relationship. It's not for good press or relations.' I said, frowning back at him.

'You're grounded.' He came out with and I glanced up to meet his eyes in surprise.

'What?'

'For having a party and drinking underage, you're grounded.' He tucked my car keys into his pocket. 'After school on Friday you are coming to the palace and you'll stay there at the weekend so I can ensure that you don't do anything you shouldn't. You can have your car then.'

'But-'

'No buts, Sky. I am your father and you disobeyed me and risked your image. It is completely unacceptable.'

'Well it's really pretty.' Lucy commented that afternoon when we were getting ready to return to school. Wilfred had loaded up the car and I stood, looking at my birthday present in the apartment car park. It _was_ pretty. A cream Mini Cooper Sport convertible. I ran my fingers across the bonnet and sighed. Why had I decided on a party? My head was throbbing and I still felt sick.

'It is pretty.' I gave a small smile. 'It's just a shame I'm grounded.'

Back at school, I still felt headachy and even more so after finishing off the homework assignments due in that week. I completed my science essay and collapsed on my bed, Lucy doing the same as me.

'I'm never drinking again.' She groaned. 'I swear today hasn't been productive. How have you sat there and just worked constantly?'

'I don't know. I guess I'm just keeping busy.' I glanced up at the ceiling and sighed as emotion threatened to take over again when my mind drifted to my grandfather. He'd have loved the party at the diner. Not the afterparty though. He probably would have agreed with my grounding.

'Are you opening your other presents now?' She signalled to the large cardboard box on the floor that had been there when I got back to our room. Then there was Zed's present tucked away in my bedside drawer.

I walked over to the cardboard box and dragged it to my bed, carefully opening the tape with scissors. Inside was a pink wrapped present with a pink card and then another box. I opened the pink card first, carefully, and smiled.

 _Sky,_

 _Happy Birthday! Welcome to the 17 club!_

 _See you soon hopefully- missing having you around._

 _Love from Lolly xx_

The present, clearly from Lolly, consisted of a simple cream silk blouse and a pretty light pink silk scarf with roses, daisies and other flowers on it. They were gorgeous.

'Totally borrowing!' Lucy beamed from across the room and I stuck my tongue out at her in response. Then I carefully pulled out the smaller box, opening it again with scissors. I saw the envelope first and recognised the handwriting; Seb. I opened the envelope carefully and there was an Audrey Hepburn birthday card inside. The message was simple, but inside was also a letter.

 _Dear Sky,_

 _What can I say? It's only been a short time but I already miss you and even seeing you at your grandfather's funeral the other day wasn't enough. I wish I could have stayed and comforted you like you deserved and I really wish I could be there for you on your birthday. I'm sorry that I wasn't. The guilt I am feeling is consuming and I hate it. Everyone here is saying I'm doing a great job so far, but I'm doing it with gritted teeth. I know I'm their future king and I'm expected to do this for my country, but I'm hating it. It's cold and dark on board and all I can think about is you. Are you safe? Are you happy? Do you need me? The questions are constantly filling my mind and I don't understand it._

 _If you haven't yet opened your present please stop reading here as I don't want to spoil it._

I smiled. I could imagine him saying it. I pulled out the first present and carefully unwrapped it. Inside was a canvas photograph of me watching the Northern Lights. I smiled. There was another one in there too, one of Lolly and I at her party. They were definitely going to go on the wall. Then there was the little blue velvet box. I opened it carefully and inside sat two aquamarine stud earrings, matching the necklace my grandfather had bought me. They were perfect.

My eyes teared up and Lucy pulled me into a hug. 'It's going to be okay Sky.' She whispered. 'I promise.'

I found myself in one of the music rooms after classes the following day. I wasn't sure why my feet had taken me there, but they had. And, thankfully, it was empty. I went inside, my security hovering at the end of the corridor for me, and I sat myself down on the piano stool. I pulled some sheet music out of my back but hesitated when I spotted Zed's present, the one I still hadn't opened, sat at the bottom of my bag. I picked it up and carefully inspected it. It was small in width but long in length, an unusual oblong shape. With a quick check that no one was around to see, I opened the paper carefully and found myself looking at a black jewellery box. I sucked in a breath, almost feeling guilty, my earrings from Seb feeling heavy in my earlobes. He'd bought me _jewellery_? _Really_?

I held my breath as I opened the box. Inside sat a delicate rose gold chain with a small circular charm with an 'S' on it. It was simple, but beautiful. It made my eyes tear up and my heart fluttered. I frowned and closed the box quickly, shoving it back in my bag. My phone buzzed and lit up inside the satchel, revealing the wallpaper background; the picture of my grandfather and I on Christmas Day. A single tear rolled down my cheek and my heart ached with sadness. It was so hard losing someone you were so close to. Even if it had only been for a few months. Phillip was carrying on as normal, hiding his emotion, but I knew he was mourning too.

I lifted up the fallboard of the piano and ran my fingers gently along the keys, trying to calm my emotions, trying to release them instead of bottling them. And then I started to sing.

 _'It's been a long day without you my friend_

 _And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again_

 _We've come a long way from where we began_

 _Oh, I'll tell you all about it when I see you again_

 _When I see you again_

 _Why'd you have to leave so soon?_

 _Why'd you have to go?_

 _Why'd you have to leave me when I needed you the most?_

 _'Cause I don't really know how to tell ya_

 _Without feeling much worse_

 _I know you're in a better place_

 _But it's always gonna hurt_

 _Carry on_

 _Give me all the strength I need to carry on_

 _It's been a long day without you my friend_

 _And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again_

 _We've come a long way from where we began_

 _Oh, I'll tell you all about it when I see you again_

 _When I see you again.'_

'You should've sang that one at the funeral.' Zed's voice took me by surprise and his comment made me frown as I wiped away the tears that had dampened my cheeks.

'What's wrong with _Somewhere Over the Rainbow_?' I asked, trying to keep my voice polite.

'Don't get me wrong, the funeral was lovely but the song you just sang has way more emotion in it.' I blinked. He'd been one of the millions of people to watch the livestream of the funeral. I closed the piano lid and reached for my bag but he stopped me. 'I'm sorry, that was insensitive of me.' He apologised.

'You're right, it was.'

His eyes softened as they met mine and I tried my best not to grit my teeth. 'Your voice is great Sky and you're very talented on piano. Don't hold back your talent, that's all I meant.'

'My grandfather liked that song.' I said and a single tear rolled down my cheek. I caught it quickly, hoping Zed hadn't seen that he'd upset me, but he had. He reached out, placing a hand on my shoulder and I shrugged it off. 'Don't act like you care, Zed.'

He flinched. 'But I _do_ care about you.'

I shrugged on my satchel and grabbed my coat, walking towards the door. 'I'll see you later.'

'Is this how it's going to be now?' His voice sounded hurt and I felt guilt in the pit of my stomach as I turned back to face him. 'You just avoiding me.'

'Need I remind you that _you_ broke up with _me_.' I replied. 'If we were you know...dating.'

'I made a huge mistake and I was jealous.' He said, running a hand through his hair. 'I wish I could take it back and above all, I wish that I had told your dad I didn't care that he didn't approve.'

My heart fluttered and I hated it for it. Zed was a bad boy. Things hadn't worked out. And now I was with Seb. So why on earth was I acting like a giddy school girl?


	29. I'll be watching you

_Seb,_

 _I hope everything is going okay and that you're settling in. I miss you too and I wish you were here with me. I miss feeling safe and sleeping well. Thank you for my birthday presents. They couldn't have been more perfect,_

 _Beste ønsker,_

 _Sky_

All week I tried my best to avoid Zed, which was easier said than done considering we had a lot of lessons together. I hurried off after class, mostly by myself (except for my security team) and kept busy either with swims after class or visits to the library. I headed to the Riding Centre, helping Clara approve the upgrades and changes, and then on Friday Wilfred picked me up and drove me to the palace for my weekend of grounding, so I knew there was no chance of running into Zed there.

I stroked Angel's muzzle as I carefully brushed her on Saturday morning in the paddock.

'Hello Sky.' Marcus' voice made me jump. It had been a _very_ long time since I had seen him.

'Hey.' I replied with a small smile. I stopped brushing Angel and she tossed her head in annoyance.

'How are you?' His hands were in his pockets and he looked a little awkward.

'I'm okay, you?'

'I'm well.' He smiled. 'I'm sorry about your grandfather.'

'Me too.' I looked down to the ground and back up again, surprised that tears weren't forming in my eyes.

'He was a good man.'

'He was.' I let my hands fall to my side, brushing them against my jodbpurs. 'What brings you to the palace?'

'I've not seen you in a while and I wanted to check you were okay.' His eyes softened. 'Dating a prince now then, huh?'

'Seb is a normal guy really. I think some people forget that.'

'A normal guy that's a crown prince and currently working in the navy.' Marcus replied. 'Phil said you were grounded?'

I groaned. 'It was just a party.'

His mouth crept up in the corners into a smile. 'A wild one by the sounds of it. It's just a shame you were caught out. Your brother has thrown a lot of wild parties. Worse than yours I'm sure.'

'I'm never drinking again.' I told him and he chuckled.

'Your highness?' A guard appeared beside us and he bowed. 'Your father is looking for you.'

'Oh?'

When I found my father, he was pacing his office and I wondered if something awful had happened. My mind flitted to Seb and then to Ezra, who seemed to have disappeared into thin air. I swallowed and held my breath as I looked up at him.

'Marcus is going to take you on your first driving lesson.' He told me and I looked at him in surprise.

'I thought I was grounded this weekend?'

'You are.' He replied, keeping his voice even. 'You're only driving around the courtyard and along the driveway. There is no point having a car and not being able to drive it.'

I looked over at my ex-boyfriend and he gave a shy smile as I bit my lip. 'What about my license?'

My father took an envelope from his desk and passed it to me. Inside was my provisional license; paper and card copy. My passport photo, the same one as on the new passport I'd been given a few months previously, made me cringe. It looked like a mug shot.

Driving was a terrifying experience, even without any traffic to crash into. I stalled five times. At least. And by the time I'd finished my lesson, my hands were clammy and sweaty, as was the poor steering wheel of my Mini. Marcus was a patient driver though and he remained calm. Calmer than I was. He showed me the parts under the bonnet and what each bit did, showed me how to use my lights and wipers and he encouraged me to pick up my speed to 20mph. I knew that next time, however, when I went out on the road, things were going to be even scarier. I'd have to go at least 30mph and there would be other traffic too.

My 'grounding' ended Sunday night, but that didn't really affect me as I hadn't planned anything over the weeks that followed. I spent long days studying, which started to pay off; I did well in assignments, earning myself a place in the top 3% in our year. Lucy didn't understand why I kept heading off to the library, though. She thought I was overdoing it and that I was going to make myself ill.

'Come on Sky, we're going to Tina's house this weekend. It'll be fun.' Lucy pleaded with me the last week of April. The May bank holiday weekend was edging closer and closer and my friends were making plans to make use of Tina's empty house half an hour outside of Newport, wales.

'I was going to spend the weekend studying.' I replied, thoughtfully. I underlined part of the textbook that I thought would be useful for the science paper that wasn't due in for another three weeks. I'd started to get ahead of myself and it felt good. I was doing well and it stopped my mind drifting off to thinking of Seb or my grandfather.

A pillow was launched at me from across the room and I blinked as I looked at my roommate. 'You're so god damn annoying!'

'Erm, thanks?' I raised an eyebrow and looked up at her as I chewed my pencil.

'This is ridiculous!' She groaned. 'I want my friend back!'

'I've not gone anywhere.'

'You have!' She looked frustrated. 'I know you're upset and things are hard, but just talk to me. After your birthday I thought you were starting to move on, but I feel like you're back there again. Keeping busy, distracting yourself, not spending time with _anyone_.'

'That's not true.'

'So when did you last hang out with Zoe, Tina and I?' She folded her arms across her chest and I frowned. 'Exactly. We hang out every night and you just sit in the library or here with some stupid textbook. Sky _please_. This weekend will be fun and you need a break before you make yourself crazy.'

'But Zed's going.' I pointed out. Nelson, Nate, Yves and Zed had all been invited. And they were going, of course. 'I don't want anything to do with him.'

'You don't want anything to do with any of us by the sounds of it.' She looked hurt and I felt guilt in the pit of my stomach. She was right. I'd been so busy distracting myself that I'd forgotten to be a good friend. I had no idea how Lucy was feeling about the assignments or how things were with Nate. Or how she was coping now that her dad was on his worldwide tour. I'd been a _terrible_ friend. I winced.

'I'm sorry.' I whispered, closing my book. 'I've been the worst friend ever.'

'No you haven't.' She replied with a small smile. 'You miss your grandfather and you miss Seb. I completely get that. I just don't like that you've cut us all out.'

'Me neither.' I shoved the book on the floor and Lucy almost laughed. 'So what's the plan this weekend?'

'You'll come?' Her eyes lit up.

'I'll come.' I replied. 'But Zed Benedict stays the hell away from me.'

Easier said than done on Friday evening as we were driving across the Severn Bridge toll road in a huge minibus with blacked out windows that the Benedict family had loaned us. One of my security guards drove us and two others sat at the back of the bus, out of the way. I hated that they were coming too because it meant I didn't get time to spend with my friends in private. Lucy sat beside me, chatting away to me and to Tina and Zoe, who sat across the aisle from us, buzzing with excitement. Then there was Nate and Zed sat in front of us and, every now and then, Zed would glance behind him and his eyes would meet mine, making me jittery. I reminded myself that was why I was avoiding him.

We arrived at the house after seven, having stopped for a quick McDonalds on the way. I'd never been to Wales before and I wondered why; the countryside we'd passed through was pretty, although we'd passed signs for places I had no idea how to pronounce. Tina's family lived three minutes walk from the beach in a small village called St Brides. The house itself was a large grey-stone building with huge glass windows and a balcony covering two sides. Leaving our bags in the car, we followed Tina inside and she gave us the grand tour.

The main reception room had a window covering most of the south-facing wall, revealing a beautiful view of the beach. There were two cream-coloured three-seater sofas and two armchairs, as well as a flatscreen television and several bookcases. The kitchen had a similar view and was open plan with a large dining table. There were four bathrooms in total, spread out across the two storeys of the house, and then there were the five bedrooms; Tina's bedroom, her parent's room, a double guest room and then a guest room with bunk beds. Tina, Zoe and I were going to stay in her room, as she had arranged for single beds to be moved in there, Lucy was staying with Nate in the double guest room and then the three guys were in the bunk bed room, which had enough beds for four. My security team were going to share the final room, with two twin beds, which was fine as there was always someone who was going to be awake and alert just in case.

'Your house is lovely.' I told Tina after we'd brought in our bags. I hung up my clothes in the space she had made for Zoe and I in her wardrobe.

'Thank you.' She smiled. 'I miss it sometimes, you know? I've spent my whole life here.'

I wished that I knew what that felt like. I'd been with a relative, then in a children's home, then a house in Cornwall and now I split myself between Sally and Simon's house, the dorm, The Palace and my Kensington apartment. 'I love the view.' I said with a smile, looking out to the balcony that overlooked the now dark beach.

'We'll make the most of that tomorrow.' She told me with a smile. 'Fancy a dip in the tub?'

'Tub?'

'Hot tub.' She smiled. 'There's one in the garden.'

'You go ahead.' I replied. 'I'm a little chilly.'

'Suit yourself.'

My friends headed out to the hot tub as I finished unpacking and their laughter echoed through the air from the balcony as I watched them with a small smile. I wrapped my jumper tighter around myself and stepped back inside, closing the french doors behind me. I headed downstairs, craving a book, but I hesitated as I passed a room we'd not even been in.

 _'You tell all the boys "No"_

 _Makes you feel good, yeah._

 _I know you're out of my league_

 _But that won't scare me away, oh, no.'_

It was Zed's voice and there was a piano playing. It wasn't perfect, a little rusty, but it was pretty good. When did he learn to play piano?

 _'You've carried on so long,_

 _You couldn't stop if you tried it._

 _You've built your wall so high_

 _That no one could climb it,_

 _But I'm gonna try.'_

He pressed the wrong note and he winced, cursing under his breath.

'I think it's a D.' I said from the doorway and he looked at me in surprise, tilting his head to the side.

'How long have you been stood there?' He looked pained.

'Not that long.' I shrugged.

'Long enough to hear _that_?'

'I didn't know you could play piano.'

'Not very well it would seem.' He shuddered and I walked into the room, leaning against the piano.

'How long have you been playing?'

'A few weeks.'

'Well you're very good considering you've only been playing a few weeks.' I told him with a reassuring smile. 'It took me months to get that far.'

'I don't think I'll ever quite be up to your standard.' He said, sheepishly, running his hand through his hair.

'Nonsense.' I tutted. 'It takes practise, that's all. So why piano?'

'Our manager thinks it would be nice if we had a few piano songs in contrast with the pop-rock stuff and I might have said I could play piano.' He frowned. 'I wish I hadn't said that, though.'

'Why did you?' I raised an eyebrow.

'To try and impress?' He looked thoughtful. 'Rookie mistake though. We're off on tour in three weeks and I'm expected to play these new piano songs. Time is ticking on.'

I perched on the stool beside him, aware that our arms and thighs were touching, making my own tingle. Then I squinted at the sheet music, reading the notes. I started to play and I soon came to a mistake in the sheet music. 'Yep, that should be a D.' I told him, changing the note with a pen.

'Thank you.' He said with a smile as he pressed the right key. 'Maybe you could sing with me?'

I wanted to but I tensed in response. It wasn't a good idea. 'Actually, I'm going to head to bed. I'm exhausted.' I lied.

I retired to the bedroom, yes, but instead I stayed up writing my own lyrics as they flooded over me. And when my friends came to bed, I pretended I was already asleep.

I woke up early the next day and the sound of birds singing filled the air. With a glance at the clock, I saw that it was only seven. Too early for anyone else to be awake. I disappeared into a bathroom, tying up my hair and changing into my bikini, deciding that I would make the most of an empty hot tub. I grabbed my towel and threw on a baggy t-shirt before creeping my way downstairs.

Martin, my head of security, sat in the living room and his eyes flicked up to meet mine as I passed. 'Good morning your highness.'

'Good morning.' I replied, tired of correcting people. There was no reason to refer to me as _your highness_ when we were on a weekend away and no one else was around. It was silly really. 'I'm just going out to the hot tub on the terrace Martin.'

'Okay.'

I carefully unlocked and opened the french doors, slipping out onto the terrace. I turned on the jets and pulled back the cover, before slipping of my t-shirt and sliding into the hot water. I sank in and felt the tension leaving my shoulders as the jets worked their magic, massaging away my cares. I could see the beach again, at the bottom of the hillside, and somebody was walking their dog. I could hear the birds singing and the rustle of the trees in the gentle breeze. There was no roar of cars. No beeping of horns. It was tranquil and calm and it reminded me of my home back in Cornwall.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, thinking of the song I'd written the previous night.

 _'Sunlight comes creeping in_

 _Illuminates our skin_

 _We watch the day go by_

 _Stories of all we did_

 _It made me think of you_

 _It made me think of you.'_

I flinched at the sound of a twig breaking and I opened my eyes to see Zed was stood there in shorts and a hoodie, a sheepish look on his face. I released the breath I hadn't known I was holding. 'You scared me.'

'Sorry.' He apologised. He glanced at Martin through the window. 'I don't think he'd have let me near you though if I was a serial killer or something.' My mind flitted to Ezra and I tensed, a lump forming in my throat. 'Sorry, that was a stupid thing to say.' He frowned. 'I didn't mean to scare you.'

'It's okay.' I gave a small smile whilst battling with whether to hurry back inside or not.

'Did you write that song you were singing?' He asked and I nodded. 'It's good, I like it. Guitar or piano?'

'Piano I think.' I bit my lip. 'Although guitar might sound good too.'

'May I join you?' He signalled to the hot tub and I became all to aware that I was sat in just a Roxy bikini. I blushed as I nodded and he pulled off his hoodie, revealing his perfectly carved tanned chest. I diverted my eyes, feeling my blush deepen, and then he climbed into the hot tub beside me, sat just a metre away. 'The view is pretty sweet, huh?' He commented and I had to agree.

'It's lovely.' I said with a smile. 'So peaceful and so different to London.'

'It's a shame it looks like rain.' He said and he was right. The clouds were grey and they didn't look like they were promising any sunshine. 'Tina mentionned going into Cardiff today. It's definitely one of my favourite cities.'

'I've never been.' I admitted, sheepishly. 'This is my first time in Wales.'

Zed looked surprised. 'It's a pretty sweet country.' He said. 'Although the language is pretty tough. Lots of castles here though and sheep.'

I laughed at the latter. 'Really? Because so far I haven't seen any.'

Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, was only half an hour away, but it seemed a whole world away from the tranquil surroundings of Tina's house. It was a buzzing city with hundreds of shops and attractions just asking to be seen. We headed to Cardiff castle first, because you couldn't not visit a castle in Wales, could you? The castle was Medieval and was right in the city centre. We spent the morning wandering around, listening to the audio guides and the guys pretended to have sword fights on the castle walls whilst the girls and I rolled our eyes at the sight, trying to ignore the people glancing my way with recognition, even though I'd put on sunglasses in an attempt to hide my identity, as had Zed and Nate, who were still being stopped every ten minutes or so by hysterical teenage girls.

'This is crazy.' Lucy whispered as we left the castle and the boys were once again hounded by a group of girls who claimed to be their future wives.

'It is.' I agreed. 'At least they aren't allowed near me. Martin wouldn't allow them within a metre.' I signalled to my security who were stood with us, looking around.

'Oh Zed, you're so muscular!' A girl cooed, grabbing my ex-boyfriend's biceps. I laughed, a little too loudly. Zed looked over at me with a raised eyebrow as did the girls and Lucy laughed under her breath.

'Are you saying I'm not muscular, your highness?' Zed asked, his face serious.

'Not at all.' I replied, evenly, looking to Lucy for help. 'Lucy was just saying she wanted to head to Primark and I thought it was funny.'

He didn't believe me. The amused expression on his face said so much. But either way, he seemed to go along with it. 'I see. Well we were going to head to the Millenium Stadium. Why don't you girls go to Primark and we'll meet back for lunch?'

'Sounds _great_!' Zoe said, giving me a puzzled expression as Lucy giggled beside me. 'Text us when you're done.'

And we headed off in the direction of the shops.

'Okay, what on earth is going on?' Tina quizzed as we walked through the busy streets, members of the public glancing our way.

'I have no idea what you mean.' I replied with a shrug.

'Don't play coy with me.' Tina frowned. 'What's the banter with Zed? And don't think I don't know you were in the hot tub with him this morning.'

A blush spread across my cheeks. 'Nothing is going on.'

'I always said they had chemistry, didn't I, Ti?' Zoe piped up. 'For months there's been a spark but nothing ever happened.' Lucy glanced down at the floor and I hoped they hadn't noticed her awkwardness.

'Guys, really?' I furrowed my eyebrows. 'There's nothing there. We don't even _like_ each other.'

'Mhmmm.' Tina's eyes were wary as we reached Primark. Without another word, we headed inside.

We met the boys for a late lunch after spending probably too much money on new clothes, something I hadn't been allowed to do for a while. I wasn't allowed to shop in London, so unless I was ordering online, I didn't have the chance to buy clothes from High Street stores. Most of my wardrobe was designer and it was _Princess Sky_ , not normal Sky. I particularly liked my new Topshop dress, which fell halfway down the thigh and was light blue with white polka dots, strappy with a sweetheart neckline.

After spending the afternoon in the harbour, we headed back to the house. The plan was to go to the local pub, owned by Tina's parent's friends, and chill whilst listening to live music and there was karaoke planned for later too. We divided into our genders, the girls getting ready together and the boys opening beers whilst they got ready too. I sipped on my wine as I adjusted my blonde curls and Lucy, Tina and Zoe straightened their hair carefully.

'I missed this.' Lucy said, giving me a smile. 'Are you glad you came?'

I smiled back at her. 'I am.' I turned to face my other friends. 'I'm sorry for being a rubbish mate over the past weeks.'

'We forgive you.' Tina said. 'It's good to have you back, Bambi.' She winked at the old nickname she'd given me and I laughed softly. 'Are you wearing your new dress tonight?'

'Isn't it supposed to rain?'

'So what? It's five minutes away. We can run there if we have to.'

I wasn't sure I felt like running when I looked at myself in the mirror half an hour later. My dress hugged my figure perfectly and looked great with the denim jacket I'd paired it with. I wore white plimsol-style shoes on my feet, adding a bit of comfort to the outfit and my hair fell in perfect curls, my make-up also looking pretty good considering I had done it myself. Zoe and Tina looked fabulous in maxi dresses, looking like they should be in Ibiza or something and Lucy looked cute in a blouse and floral skirt, pumps on her feet. We met the boys downstairs in the reception room, where my security entourage were waiting for us too.

 _Wow._ Zed's voice in my head took me by surprise and I shot him a confused look. _You look gorgeous._

My cheeks reddened and I looked down at my casual shoes. _Thank you._

I glanced up again and saw his eyes burning into mine, giving my heart palpitations. It jittered in my chest and I bit my lip, wishing that Zed Benedict didn't still have that effect on me.

Tina looked around awkwardly, ignoring Nelson's lustful expression as he looked at her. 'Shall we go?'

The Lighthouse Inn overlooked the lighthouse that belonged to a family who apparently rented out some of the rooms as Bed and Breakfasts too. I admired the TARDIS on the top balcony and Tina explained that it was the changing room for their hot tub. It made me wonder if everyone around here had hot tubs overlooking the ocean, which was now starting to look a little stormy. The pub was small and cosy, with a roaring fire on, despite being May and cute knick-knacks and pictures around, decorating it and giving it character. There was a restaurant part, where we sat and ate first before moving to the pub area, where locals sat chatting as the band set up their instruments. A few people glanced my way and bowed their heads in respect, making my cheeks flushed, but I tried my best just to ignore it and blend in.

'Here you are.' Tina pushed some beers our way and I glanced up at her in surprise. 'They said they'd only do one round for us as we've technically been eating so it's legal.'

Nate clinked his bottle against Lucy and then Zed's before taking a sip. 'I do love me a tequila beer.'

I squinted at the brand name that was unfamiliar before taking my own sip. I nodded in agreement. It was pretty nice stuff.

'Hi my name is Tyler and it's great to be here tonight.' The performer said into the microphone. He didn't look much older than my friends and I and he looked nervous, even though there were only about thirty people in the pub, if that. 'Let me know if you have any requests. This one's by Maroon 5.' He started playing some chords and I watched with curiosity as I tried to work out the first song. _'I'm hurting, baby, I'm broken down_

 _I need your loving, loving_

 _I need it now_

 _When I'm without you_

 _I'm something weak_

 _You got me begging, begging_

 _I'm on my knees.'_

'I love this song!' Lucy said excitedly as Nate took her hand, their fingers interlocking. I gave a small smile at the cute gesture, although I felt envious of it too. I missed Seb's hand in mine. It was comforting, relaxing and loving all rolled into one. I looked up and saw Zed watching me as he quietly sang along under his breath from across the table.

He soon joined me, sat beside me as Tyler's performance finished and the karaoke started up, Tina and Zoe opening with a rendition of ' _Bang bang'_ that was clearly not approved by anyone over thirty in the pub. 'What are you singing?' Zed asked, nodding to the stage as my friends tried to rap Nicki Minaj's part almost painfully.

'Nothing.' I shrugged. 'I'm not really feeling up to it.'

'You should sing.' He encouraged with a small smile.

'I have a headache.' I replied and it wasn't a lie. A small headache had made an appearance between my eyebrows and I wondered if I'd been frowning without realising it.

'Just one song?'

I shrugged. 'I'm not really up for singing.'

'Next up we have...Sky Bright!' The pub owner announced and I groaned.

'Who did it?' I looked at my friends suspiciously and they all pointed at each other. 'Brilliant.' I muttered as the chanting started. 'Thanks guys.'

'You love us really.' Lucy said, slipping into my seat as I got up.

'What am I singing?'

'You'll see.' Tina winked, a wink that I didn't like the look of as I walked over to the stage. A microphone was handed to me and I held my breath as I waited for the backing music. My eyes widened as the lyrics appeared on the screen and I started to sing.

 _'And I know he'll be the death of me, at least we'll both be numb_

 _And he'll always get the best of me, the worst is yet to come_

 _But at least we'll both be beautiful and stay forever young_

 _This I know, (yeah) this I know.'_

My friends cheered and I rolled my eyes at them as I continued to perform.

 _'He told me, "Don't worry about it."_

 _He told me, "Don't worry no more."_

 _We both knew we can't go without it_

 _He told me you'll never be alone-oh-oh, whoa_

 _I can't feel my face when I'm with you_

 _But I love it, but I love it, oh_

 _I can't feel my face when I'm with you_

 _But I love it, but I love it, oh.'_

When the song ended, I was thankful to sink back down in my seat and I was starting to wonder if it was a good time to head home when Zed jumped up to perform. A few people in the pub glanced at him in recognition, as they had done with me, and I wondered if they had realised he was the new 'bad boy of pop' as the papers were saying. He didn't say anything as he took the microphone and perched on a stool like a member of Westlife. And then the song intro started up and I knew what it was straight away. A personal favourite of mine.

 _'You look so wonderful in your dress_

 _I love your hair like that_

 _The way it falls on the side of your neck_

 _Down your shoulders and back._

 _We are surrounded by all of these lies_

 _And people who talk too much_

 _You got the kind of look in your eyes_

 _As if no one knows anything but us_

 _Should this be the last thing I see_

 _I want you to know it's enough for me_

 _'Cause all that you are is all that I'll ever need_

 _I'm so in love, so in love_

 _So in love, so in love.'_

Zed closed his eyes as he sang the chorus, but as soon as it was over, his eyes opened and they locked on mine as he sang.

 _'You look so beautiful in this light_

 _Your silhouette over me_

 _The way it brings out the blue in your eyes_

 _Is the Tenerife Sea.'_

He gave a lopsided smile and I blushed as my friends turned to look at me. I ignored them and the wary looked on their faces as I glanced down at my drink, suddenly wishing it was alcoholic.

 _'And all of the voices surrounding us here_

 _They just fade out when you take a breath_

 _Just say the word and I will disappear_

 _Into the wilderness_

 _Should this be the last thing I see_

 _I want you to know it's enough for me_

 _'Cause all that you are is all that I'll ever need_

 _I'm so in love, so in love_

 _So in love, so in love.'_

As Zed sang, I became aware that I was turning into one of his groupies, one of the girls whose knees went jelly-like, whose hearts fluttered and who couldn't breathe. I sat in stunned silence when he finished, whilst our friends gave puzzled claps. I'd not even realised that he'd sat back down beside me as I rubbed my painful forehead and squinted.

 _Wanna go?_ Zed's voice filled my mind and I raised an eyebrow at him. _Not like_ that. _You look a little pale._

'Guys, I'm sorry but my head is killing me. Can I meet you back at the house?' I said to my friends and they gave me sympathetic looks whilst Lucy just looked plain-old disappointed. 'I promise I'll be more fun tomorrow.'

'You look a little grey.' Tina said, sympathetically. 'Get some good sleep.'

'You can't go back by yourself.' Lucy tutted.

I signalled to my security. 'I'm hardly going alone now am I?'

'I'll take her.' Zed piped up, catching me by surprise. Lucy wiggled her eyebrows and I glared at her before anyone could see her. 'I'm pretty tired anyway.' He shrugged.

'Thanks Zed.' Tina smiled, throwing us a set of keys. 'Those are the spares so don't lose them.'

'No problem.' He smiled back.

As we left the pub, I hadn't even realised that somebody had been watching us the whole time.


	30. Can't go back I'm haunted

_**Hi all- sorry I've not updated sooner! I've spent days stuck in bed with sickness and I couldn't get up, let alone type out the next chapter. My body just wanted to sleep the whole time. On the mend now though, thankfully, but missed out on Valentines which is frustrating so off to celebrate today instead.**_

'You look pretty as always.' Zed said, breaking the silence between us as we walked along, avoiding the puddles and mud from the newly-fallen rain.

'Thank you.' I gave a half-smile but didn't glance his way. Instead, I tried to stop the fluttery feeling that came with compliments from Zed, along with the pink cheeks. He wasn't allowed to compliment me. Seb could all he wanted, but not Zed. Zed had lost that right a while ago.

'Did you have a nice time at the pub... other than the headache?' He wasn't going to give up.

'Is this your attempt at smalltalk?'

'Is it working?' He was smiling. That much was clear from his voice. A glance to my right showed that one of my security guards wasn't feeling it either. He rolled his eyes and I tried not to laugh.

'Not really.' I replied and my guard spluttered.

'I'm trying here Sky.' He sighed. 'One minute I feel like you're letting me be your friend and the next minute I'm stuck having a one-sided conversation, starting from the beginning again.' I looked at him and raised my eyebrows and he furrowed his. 'You're giving me whiplash.'

And then the heavens opened. I squealed as rain poured down the front of my chest, down my bra, as it soaked my dress and my denim jacket. 'Oh crap!' I squealed and Zed, my security and I turned our quick walk into a sprint up the path as the rain fell quickly, having appeared from nowhere. I groaned as I trod in a puddle I'd missed as the house came into view. I raced through the gate and to the front door, opening it carefully with the spare key Tina had given us. Then we stepped inside in the dry, all of our bodies leaving a puddle at our feet.

'I'll grab us some towels.' Zed said with a small smile as a few members of my security disappeared off to change out of their wet clothes. I slipped my feet out of my soaked shoes and put the poor things on the radiator in the hope that they might dry out. Welcome to May in Wales. Zed came back down the stairs, already in dry clothes and chucked me a towel.

I started drying myself out and shivered. 'It's supposed to be summer soon.'

'Not in the valleys.' He gave a playful smile. 'Cup of tea?'

I held my hand to my throbbing head. 'Please. I'll get dressed.'

'I'll find you some paracetmol.'

I wrapped myself in the warm towel, clearly fresh from the airing cupboard, and walked upstairs. I changed into my silk pyjama trousers and top, throwing on a loose, warm, off-shoulder jumper I had packed just incase, and I squeezed out my soaked hair until it had stopped dripping. The curls were going to dry wild now. I winced at my headache, which seemed to be making its way behind my eyes. Ouch. I heard my security walking about, chatting about their schedules and I slid past them, making my way back downstairs. Zed wasn't in the kitchen. He was already sat on the sofa, the television on with a Game of Thrones repeat playing, and two cups of tea were on the table. He ran a hand through his damp hair casually and then glanced up at me as he heard my footsteps. He gave a warm smile as I sat down beside him, careful to create some distance between us.

I carefully picked up the painkillers and took them with water, wincing at the horrible feeling as they travelled down my throat. Then, in silence, I picked up my mug of tea, enjoying the warming sensation on my cold hands. 'Thank you.' I said to Zed quietly and he adjusted his position on the sofa.

'You're welcome.' He replied, keeping his voice even. His eyes were trained on the television as the Red Wedding happened in front of us. I blinked, glancing away from the gore as Robb Stark was killed. I'd hated it when I'd first seen the episode; he was one of my favourites. I still hated it now. 'Don't like the blood?' Zed's voice had a hint of amusement in it and I knew he'd sensed my squirming.

'I know it's not real blood.' I replied, crossing my legs under myself. 'It's more the fact that Robb Stark was one of my favourite characters.'

'Because you fancy him?' He teased.

'Maybe.' A blush crept across my cheeks. 'But I liked his character too.'

When I woke up the next morning, it wasn't my head hurting any longer. It was the right side of my stomach and I wondered if I had slept in a weird position. I opened my eyes carefully and sucked in a breath so quickly that it almost made me cough. I'd fallen asleep on the sofa and my head was against Zed's chest as he snored softly beside me, clearly still fast asleep. His hand was gently on my waist and I frowned at myself for letting myself fall asleep. With him. Daylight was creeping through the window as I slipped out of Zed's grasp and stood up, wincing as I'd done so. Did I have a stitch? Or maybe I was hungry? I went into the kitchen and grabbed myself a banana, forcing it down despite not wanting to. My stomach churned as I finished it and I frowned. I felt sick. Stupid stomach. I was falling apart at the seams.

The air as I opened the french doors was cool and fresh and I sucked in the salty sea breeze as I stepped outside the door, folding my arms across my chest. I walked across the grass in my shoes, still damp from the night before, trying to stand upright, but the pain in my stomach wasn't allowing me to do so. I was walking like a little old lady. I sighed as I reached the edge of the garden and looked out at the bay, the waves crashing wildly against the sand, clues of another storm coming.

'Sky.'

I swallowed as I felt bile creeping up. I hoped I'd been imagining the voice, but a quick turn in the face of the wooded part of the garden showed I was wrong. 'What are you doing here?'

A smile crept across Ezra's face. A wicked smile. 'I came to see you of course.' I stook a step backwards and my eyes flicked to the house but I couldn't see my security. 'Scream and I'll shoot.' I spotted the gun, at his side, probably not visible in the heavy vegetation from the house.

'Are you ever going to leave me alone?' Tears brimmed in my eyes and they stung.

'You ran away.' He said, his voice smooth. 'It's your fault I'm here.'

'I didn't want to marry you.' I frowned. 'I still don't. I'm _seventeen_.'

'But you'd marry Prince Sebastien of course.'

I tensed at the way he said my boyfriend's name. 'Leave him out of this. He's not here.'

'I know, your saviour seems preoccupied so this seemed like the ideal time to pay a visit.'

I took another step back as he reached towards me and my foot slipped into a rabbit hole. I winced at the pain. 'I'll call my security.'

Ezra's eyes flicked towards the house. 'I don't think you'd do that because if you did then I'd have to hurt your friends.'

I bit my lip, enough that it was bleeding, as my heart thudded in my chest. 'Just take me. Take me but don't hurt them.'

'That can be arranged, princess.' His voice was bitter and he grabbed my arm, pulling me towards him. His breath smelt like cigarettes and maybe even alcohol as he breathed on my face and then his mouth was on mine. I squirmed, pushing him away and he chuckled as he held me tight, pulling me after him, sticking to the hedgerow so that we were more hidden.

'Let go of her.' A voice growled and I realised suddenly we were no longer alone.

 _Zed, get out of here, he has a gun._ I pleaded in my head as my eyes flickered to Zed's direction. His face was angry, his fists clenched. I'd not seen him look like that before.

'I said let go of her!' Zed's voice made me flinch.

Ezra laughed as he held the gun against my hip. 'Oh your highness, you do seem to have a lot of male attention, don't you?' His smirk was clear, even though he stood behind me, holding me up like a shield. 'Go inside boy, you're in danger out here.' Ezra's breath stung my cheek as he spoke, his lips purposefully moving against my skin, making the sick-feeling I was experiencing even worse.

 _Zed please, get out of here._ I pleaded again but he seemed to be ignoring me.

'Let the princess go.' Zed seemed to just be repeating himself now and I wondered if he was secretly afraid, if he didn't know what else to say.

'What are you going to do exactly?' Ezra asked, curious. Nothing happened for a moment and then everything moved quickly. Zed lunged towards Ezra, reaching for the gun and a gunshot went off and I cried out as I landed on the ground. Zed was punching Ezra. In the nose, probably breaking it. The gun laid on the floor and I picked it up, holding it now in protection of myself as the two fought. My security didn't hesitate. They came racing outside, all armed, and they were calling out things into headpieces as they came and intervened. Ezra was cuffed, so very quickly, and then I saw the blood on Zed's arm. He winced in pain, holding it, as one of my security guards spoke to him, another coming over to me and taking the gun from my hand, trying to check I was okay. My stomach throbbed and then I was violently sick.

I don't remember anything after that. I was sure I passed out. Either from the pain, from the shock or from throwing up. But when I woke up, I could hear a bleeping sound of machines and opening my eyes confirmed it; I was in a private room in a hospital. The white walls, the smell of antisceptic made it clear. And the worried Sally and Simon sat beside me made it even clearer.

'Oh sweetie, you're awake.' Sally sounded relieved as she squeezed my hand, where a tube stuck into it, attached to a drip.

I went to move but my stomach hurt and I winced. 'What happened?'

'Do you remember anything?' Simon asked, concern etched into his forehead.

'Yeah... Ezra turned up.' I frowned. 'And my security cuffed him and Zed... oh god, Zed... is he...' A tear rolled down my cheek. 'Is he _okay?_ '

'He's in the room next door.' Sally gave a small smile. 'He was shot, sweetie.'

I winced. 'This is all my fault.' Another tear rolled down my cheek as I felt bile rising again. 'Is he... is he going to be okay?'

'It was just his arm, he was very lucky. Apparently he just wanted to keep you safe.' Simon replied. 'Your father... the King... went to see him and he said that he didn't care that he got shot, he just wanted to save you.'

'My father has been here?'

Sally nodded. 'He got you the private room and one for Zed too. He'll be back soon.' I tried to sit up but Sally stopped me. 'Sweetie, you can't move just yet. You've had an operation?'

'An operation?' Had I heard her right?

'Your appendix ruptured.' Simon explained. 'Were you feeling unwell at all?'

'My stomach hurt and it hurt to walk.' I replied, numbly as it sank in.

Simon gave a small smile. 'Luckily they got it before it had spread too much. But it can be so much worse, life-threatening.' He squeezed my free hand. 'It's lucky your guards brought you here to get checked over. He said you were sick all over your kidnapper's feet. Nice work kiddo.'

I gave a small smile at that and I carefully lifted my pyjama top, revealing a white dressing on the bottom right of my stomach. 'Is it going to scar?'

Sally sighed. 'Sweetie, I think that's the least of our worries. Now get some rest.'

I drifted in and out of consciousness for the next twenty-four ours, the anaesthetic still in my system and making me sleepy. Every few hours my drip would start bleeping and a nurse would come and change it, and then there were the regular doctor check-ups, checking my heart rate and checking that I wasn't in any avoidable pain. Sally and Simon stayed for most of that time, never leaving my side as the nurses brought them sandwiches and cups of tea. The King and Queen had dropped by once to check everything was okay and then they had gone. When I woke up the following day, Sally and Simon weren't there but my brother was instead.

'Hello sis.' He said as I opened my eyes and found him sat beside me with a huge bunch of flowers and a big teddy bear. 'How are you feeling?'

'I've been better.' I replied, feeling a little groggy. I stretched out my back and it clicked, making me wince.

My brother put the flowers into a vase beside my bed and then passed me the teddy. It had a jumper with the royal crest on it. 'I think we might have to revoke your title.' He told me. 'I'm not sure you're allowed to be royalty if you're missing an appendix.'

'Very funny.' I rolled my eyes and he smiled, a warm smile.

'It's good to know that even when you're in a hospital bed, I can still annoy you.' He shifted his position on the chair and smiled as he reached for his cup of tea. 'You've made the news again and there are hundreds of 'get well' flowers outside of the palace for you.'

'Goodness, really?'

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and revealed a picture; bouquets of every colour, shape and size were outside the palace, sure enough, and there seemed to be messages and cards too. 'More popular than you thought.'

'Yeah.' I gave a small smile, still in shock. My mind slipped to the room next door. 'How's Zed?'

'I think he's doing okay. A bit grumpy though from what the nurses have said.'

'He's always grumpy.' I gave a soft laugh and winced. 'Okay so laughing isn't going to happen anytime soon.'

'Apparently you have stitches externally but also inside your intestines. Who knew appendixes were such a pain?' Phillip said and I shuddered at the thought of having stitches on my insides too. Ew.

'I want to see him.'

'Who?'

'Zed, you idiot.'

He gave a cheeky smile. 'I knew who you were talking about. I was winding you up. Oh sis, you're an easy target.' He sipped at his tea, watching me with an amused expression. 'I'm afraid you're not really supposed to leave your bed.'

A nurse walked into the room to change my drip. She did so quietly, her eyes flicking to my brother every now and again like she wanted to eat him up. I wasn't surprised. I had this from Tina on a regular basis. 'How are you feeling your highness?' She asked me as she moved to plump up my pillows.

'I'm okay.' I shrugged. 'Can I go and see my friend nextdoor?'

'I'm afraid you're not able to walk. It's going to be a while before we can let you do that. We don't want you tearing your stitches.' She replied and I sighed.

'Please?' I did my best puppy-dog eyes. 'It's his fault I'm here. He tried to save me and I need to see him.'

She gave me a sympathetic look. 'I'll go and see if we can put you in a wheelchair.'

As the door closed, my brother rolled his eyes at me. 'Did you really just pull Puss-in-Boots eyes on somebody?'

I gave a smile and nodded. 'The advantage of big, blue eyes.' He rolled his eyes again and I frowned at him. 'Don't give me that. I've seen you _flirt_ your way into getting what you want. You're a charmer and you use that to your advantage.'

He shrugged. 'Might as well.'

The nurse returned after a few minutes with a wheelchair and she and Phillip helped me into my dressing gown and then into the chair. Then the nurse sorted out my drip, so that it could come with me, and Phillip carefully wheeled me out of the room, past my security guards, through the busy corridor and to the room next door. He knocked first and then opened it, wheeling me in. Zed sat up in his bed, wearing a sling on his left arm as he carefully spooned food into his mouth with the other. His television was on, but Karla Benedict sat beside him, watching her son. Her head turned to face me as we entered the room and Zed's eyes met mine, his mouth dropping in surprise.

'Hello Sky.' Karla said warmly to me. 'Hello Phillip.'

'Hello.' My brother and I chorused in response as he parked my wheelchair beside Zed's bed.

'You're looking well.' Karla told me. 'A little thin, but you seem to have colour in your cheeks.' She turned to my brother. 'Shall we leave them to it and get a cup of tea?'

'Sounds like a good idea.' Phillip nodded and the two of them left the room.

Zed's eyes bored into mine and I looked into my lap, nervously, unsure of what to say. Thankfully, he spoke first. 'How are you?'

'A little sore and tired but I suppose that's to be expected.' I replied, the nervousness clear in my voice. 'How's your arm?'

He shrugged. 'It'll be fine. I don't still need to be here. They removed the gunshot, there's a bit of nerve damage but not much. I should be home now.'

'They're probably checking there's no infection.' I told him as I looked up at him. 'It was a crazy thing to do, Zed. Dive towards a man with a gun.'

'I couldn't let him take you.' His eyes met mine again and a pink aura surrounded him, one that I was confused about. 'I had to do something.'

'But you're lucky it was just the arm.' I continued. 'If it had been your chest then you could have...' My voice trailed off as sadness filled my mind.

'If it happened again, I'd still do the same. You're important to me Sky and I want to keep you safe.' His voice was sincere and I knew he meant it. 'Your father has been to visit me a few times.'

'Oh?' That was surprising. He hated Zed. He'd made that much clear many times.

'He said I was very courageous. He spoke about knighting me.'

'Knighting you?' So Zed would be a 'sir' aged seventeen. I blinked in surprise.

'He thinks I should be rewarded for my bravery, for saving you.' He gave a small smile. 'I'm not sure I fit in with Sir Ian McKellan or Sir Alan Sugar though.' I gave a soft chuckle at that. 'And I told him that I'd rather be allowed to see you and be your friend. That being a 'sir' would be great but I value your friendship more.' I didn't know what to say. I simply just looked at him. 'So... I'm not banned from meeting up with you anymore. That's good right?'

'You could have died and all you can say is that it's good because now we're _allowed_ to hang out?' I blinked as I looked at him in disbelief.

He gave a crooked smile. 'I like to see the silver-lining.'

'Apparently so.' I shook my head and then glanced at his arm. 'Does it hurt?'

'Not too much.' He replied. 'I'm on painkillers for it though and the doctors say that it should be fine for tour in four weeks time.'

'That's good.' I nodded. I wouldn't forgive myself if _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ had to pull out of their first UK Headline tour because of me.

'I have to go back to school on Monday though.' He made a face and my eyes flicked to the clock in his room; Tuesday. 'You've got out of that a bit longer. Nice work.' His smile was playful.

'No exercise for six weeks apparently and no stairs for three.' I wrinkled my nose. 'Kinda hard when my room in the palace is on first floor.'

'I could carry you?' He suggested.

'You'd drop me.'

'Never.'

Hospital was boring and I hated it. I would visit Zed, watch television, read books and I even found myself doing schoolwork because I was just fed up. Zed was released from hospital on the Wednesday, but I found myself in there until the Sunday, when they finally decided I could go back to the palace. I was carried up the stairs, but thankfully everything I needed could be brought to me. By Sunday, I was okay to walk to the toilets and it was even alright to walk to the library for a change of scenery, but I still wasn't supposed to walk for long and everyone knew that. Everyone fussed. Guards I'd never seen before would offer to get my my wheelchair. Maids I'd never seen would offer to get me a cup of tea or help me get down a book. I was being completely smothered.

On Monday, a letter arrived for me and I knew straight away who it was from. I ran my hands over the handwriting and sighed, wishing the person I really needed would come and see me.

 _My dear Sky,_

 _I feel completely terrible after hearing what happened with Ezra. I hate myself for not being there to protect you and to keep you safe and then to hear that you are now in hospital having had a serious operation. My heart aches and I feel great sadness. I have requested a day's absence but as of yet, they will not allow it so I am so sorry for that. All I want is to wrap you in my arms and hold you tight and kiss you and tell you everything will be okay. Because it will._

 _I know it doesn't feel like it, even I've doubted it, what with everything awful that has happened in the month and a half I've been on this boat. And there's still another four and a half months to go. But I know you're a brave and strong young woman and I know you're going to be fine._

 _How is your stomach now? Is it hurting?_

 _I really hope to hear from you soon and just know you are in my thoughts,_

 _Seb xxx_

I wanted to be in his arms too, kissing him. It didn't matter that the guards were everywhere in the palace. I still didn't feel safe and I often woke from nightmares in the middle of the night, swearing I could see Ezra's face somewhere in my room. He was locked up, under interrogation and not set to be released for a very long time. But somehow that did not make me feel any better. And then there was the fact that Seb wasn't going to return for four and a half months yet. A lot could change in that time. Would he still want to be with me when he saw the scar hidden by the dressing on my stomach? His scars just disappeared without a trace, he could heal, but what about my marks? My wounds? I put down the letter and curled up on the sofa, finding myself crying.

 _Seb,_

 _You have no idea how much I wish you were here too. It's so hard not seeing you. I want you to tell me everything's going to be okay, to wrap me in your arms and keep me safe. I keep seeing him, every night in my dreams and then I feel like he's watching me in everything I do. I don't like it, Seb. I know Ezra is locked up but I think he's going to haunt me forever._

 _My stomach still hurts, only when I walk and I'm sat or lying in a certain way but it's getting better. The dressing comes off today and I'm dreading it. I don't want to see it._

 _Speak soon,_

 _Sky xxx_

The doctor carefully pulled back the white bandage and I winced at the feeling, like I was being waxed. The bandage revealed what I'd been dreading; the red and purple line. It will get smaller, he told me. Don't scratch it, he'd said. It's starting to heal well. I looked at it, mutely, and frowned. It had nothing to do with Ezra, but it was going to forever be a reminder of that day. The day he could have killed me. The day he could have killed Zed. The day he could have won.

Tina, Zoe and Lucy visited me on Friday night, armed with food and goodies for a sleepover. I'd tried to enjoy it, I really had, but my sleep had become irregular and I was tired and anxious. I'd had to give the police new statements about Ezra that day, so the sleepover was the worst timing, and the girls tried really hard, I know they did, but it didn't change anything. Ezra was like a disease, a terminal illness. Once he was there, once he'd made contact, you couldn't get rid of him.

'Your highness, you have a visitor.' Hannah told me on Sunday morning. From the place I was sat on my bed, I could see the rain hammering against the window. Another cold and wet day reflecting exactly how I was feeling. 'He's waiting in the library.'

I carefully got off the bed and I got changed quickly after Hannah selected me a comfy leggings and baggy top to wear. I tamed my hair and applied a bit of make-up, before pausing in the doorway. 'Hannah?'

'Yes your highness.'

'Thank you for everything you do for me. Especially over the last week.' I smiled a big, thankful smile and she almost blushed.

'It's a honor serving you, your highness.' She replied formally, but the twinkle in her eyes showed me that she meant it. She led me carefully down the hall, not minding about my slowness or small steps and she held open the door for me. In the library sat Zed, in jeans and a hoodie, his hair messy and sticking up in different directions as he ran his hand through it. It was damp, clearly from the awful weather. 'I'll bring you some drinks.' Hannah said and then she disappeared.

'Hey.' Zed stood up when he saw me and I walked over carefully to him, sitting down on the sofa. He sank down beside me. 'How are you?'

'Getting there.' I replied with a small smile. I put my feet up on the table and let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding. Zed's eyes flickered to my feet, my fluffy striped socks, and he smiled a playful smile.

'Are you allowed to put your feet on the table in a palace?' He teased.

'Only if you don't tell my father or Lady Clarence.' I replied. 'If you did that, I might just have to kill you.' He smiled, leaning against the back of the sofa and draping his arm comfortably across the top of it. 'How's your first week back been?' I asked.

'Okay.' He shrugged. 'Wouldn't have minded not going in though. So many assignments going on. Speaking of which.' He reached for his backpack and pulled out a folder. 'I bring you work. In case you're really bored or something. It was part of the deal with your dad; I'm allowed to hang around if I don't affect your studies so here I am, encouraging your studies.'

I laughed, taking the folder from him and placing it on the table. 'Thanks, I think?'

'If you get any of it done I can take it in for you if you want.' He said, running a hand through his hair. Something that I'd started to realise was a nervous gesture of sorts. 'So what have you been up to this week?'

'Besides lying around, being carried up the stairs and trying not to open my stitches?' I stretched my hands out in front of me. 'I've played a bit of music and I've read a lot.'

'Wild life you lead.' He teased as Hannah appeared with a tray containing biscuits, sandwiches, other nibbles and tea as well as jugs of water. She placed it down carefully and I excused her with a thank you. 'Have you been writing?'

'More like learning covers. I'm not feeling very inspired.' I admitted. 'What about you?'

'My arm is still a little achy after too much guitar but it's getting there.'

I wasn't sure what made me say it, but I slipped out before I could help myself. 'Can I see?' I'd not seen a bullet wound. Seb's had healed almost instantly.

'Sure.' He shrugged out of his hoodie and there, on his bicep, was a red and pink scar. It wasn't circular, like I had thought it might have been, but instead it was like a splatter-mark, an unusual shape with small stitches evident in the skin. I reached out and gently touched it, surprised that Zed didn't wince.

'Does it hurt?'

'Not on the skin but it's more an internal kind of ache, you know? From where it hit the muscles and nerves.'

I nodded as I ran my fingers across it, aware that Zed's eyes were watching me with an intense expression. 'I'm sorry.'

'For what?'

'For this. It's permanent.' I moved my fingers away, snatching back my finger as I frowned.

'Everyone has scars.' He shrugged and I wanted to correct him, but I didn't. 'Scars make us who we are and this one reminds me that I saved you.'

'Scars look awful.' I frowned as I thought of my own pink line, the one that stared at me every morning when I had a shower. 'Especially on a girl.'

'Scars are beautiful.' He placed his hand gently under my chin, forcing me to look at him. 'They show what you've been through and how strong you are for surviving.' I sighed and his eyes softened. 'Come on, let's see yours.'

Blood rose to my cheeks and I blushed. 'No, I hate it.'

'Sky.'

'No.' I folded my arms across my chest and his hands moved to my waist, tickling me. I tried to resist and I tried to swat his hands away but I giggled at the tickling sensation, unable to stop myself. I laughed and I didn't even realise that Zed had pulled up my jumper to reveal my tummy until I felt the cool air on it. I blushed as I took a deep breath, calming myself. I looked down at the scar on my stomach that he was looking at and I frowned. 'See, it's hideous.'

'No it's not.' He said softly. 'It's a beautiful battle wound, reminding you that you are strong.' His eyes flicked up to meet mine. 'And you _are_ strong Sky Bright. The strongest girl I know. Don't forget it.'

I pulled my jumper back down and carefully sat up, reaching for my tea. 'Tea?'

'Sure.' He smiled. 'And maybe a song?'

'A song?'

'Yeah. Show me what you've been learning.'

I moved to sit by the piano, carefully sitting myself down on the chair I'd put there instead of a stool, as it was more supportive. Zed perched on the stool beside me, looking thoughtful as I lifted the lid and played the opening chords.

He smiled. 'You don't strike me as a Justin Bieber kind of girl.'

'I always surprise people.'

'Yeah you do.' He nodded in agreement as I continued to play. 'May I?'

'Go ahead.'

 _'You gotta go and get angry at all of my honesty_

 _You know I try but I don't do too well with apologies_

 _I hope I don't run out of time. Could someone call a referee?_

 _'Cause I just need one more shot at forgiveness.'_

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, not sure I could face him looking at me with the intense expression he seemed to use so well, the one that made girls fall to their feet. _'I know you know that I made those mistakes maybe once or twice_

 _And by once or twice I mean maybe a couple of hundred times_

 _So let me, oh, let me redeem, oh, redeem, oh, myself tonight_

 _'Cause I just need one more shot, second chances.'_

 _'Is it too late now to say sorry?'_ I opened my eyes at Zed's voice as it harmonised with mine. _''Cause I'm missing more than just your body.'_

 _'Is it too late now to say sorry?_

 _Yeah, I know-oh-oh, that I let you down_

 _Is it too late to say I'm sorry now?'_ The way Zed sang it to me was like he meant the lyrics and it left me feeling flushed and agitated.

Thankfully, he suggested we have lunch and watch some Game of Thrones, which was fine by me, so we munched on the food Hannah had brought up and the chocolates and popcorn Zed had brough with him as a secret stash and we headed to the land of Westeros.

 _ **Zed.**_

I wasn't good at being sneaky. I wasn't good at being subtle. But I tried to be and every now and then I'd glance away from Daenerys or Tyrion and look at Sky as she watched the programme, completely engrossed in it as she nibbled on popcorn. I wanted to wrap my arm around her, especially because she'd taken to sitting with a hand over her scar, as if protecting herself from it or even shielding it from me. But I couldn't reach out and hold her like I wanted, how I once had before. Because now there was Prince Sebastien on the scene, even if he hadn't been there for her like I had the past two weeks. She still had another four weeks before she could step back into school and I knew that I was going to make more of an effort. Care for her, love her, make her smile, make her confidence return.

I glanced over at Sky again and realised she'd fallen asleep. Eyes closed as her breath gently moved her chest up and down, she looked like an angel. She was so beautiful, so perfect, so fragile, but she couldn't see that. My heart fluttered at the sight and I smiled a lopsided smile. It was getting late. It was no wonder she was asleep. But her neck wasn't going to thank her for sleeping on the sofa when she woke up in the morning.

Carefully, I scooped her up in my arms, her head falling gently against my chest as she continued to sleep. I carried her to the door, opening it as carefully as I could, and I carried her past the guards, who nodded at me. I carried her across the hallway, to her room, where one of her maids, Hannah, stood.

She opened the door for me. 'Is she okay?'

'Just really tired.' I replied in a whisper as I walked towards her bed, Hannah following me.

'She's hardly slept since it happened.' Hannah replied. 'Almost every night she wakes up screaming and crying.'

My heart ached at the sound of that. 'Nightmares?'

She nodded. 'Sometimes she thinks she seems him in here too.' I placed Sky onto the bed carefully and pulled the duvet over her, sighing. 'Are you staying here tonight, Mr Benedict? It's awfully late to be heading home and I can put you in the guest room opposite.'

I wanted to. I wanted to stay in the palace where I could keep her safe, protect her from her dreams. I wanted to climb into her bed beside her and be her dreamcatcher. But I knew I had school tomorrow and I needed decent grades to get out of doing assignments whilst on tour. 'I have to go, but thank you.' I said to Hannah with a small smile. 'Will you tell her I said goodbye?'

'Of course.'


	31. Stars will guide us home

'Good morning Sky.' The Queen's voice took me by surprise as I carefully brushed my hair, despite Hannah's best efforts to do it for me. I hated people doing things for me, especially when I was perfectly capable. Besides, there was nothing worse than having your hair brushed when it was knotty. Ouch.

'Good morning.' I replied and Hannah curtsied, excusing herself. I turned in my chair to face my father's wife, her familiar warm smile on her face.

'I feel like I've not seen you in a few days.' She sat down on the chaise longe. 'How are you?'

'I'm getting there.' I smiled. It had been four weeks since my operation and my walking had returned pretty much to normal. I'd even gone riding in the paddock a few times, with some assistance getting on and off the horse. The doctor had also been pleased with how my stitches had been healing.

'Good.' She smiled, reaching for my knee and giving it a gentle squeeze. 'What are your plans for today?'

It was a Monday and it was raining outside, which meant definitely no riding or walks around the gardens and I was waiting for Zed to drop by with more school work as I'd done it all. 'I'm not sure.'

'I wondered if you'd like to help me with the planning for the ball next Saturday?'

I'd completely forgotten about the ball. It hadn't been mentionned for weeks, since way before the operation and possibly even before my grandfather died. The annual ball was held at the palace to signal the start of Summer as it did every year. Royals and nobles from around the globe were invited and it was expected to be very important. I swallowed. I'd been to lots of other events, sure, but this one was even grander than the usual. And it required meeting more people, more important rulers.

'Is it not already planned?' I asked.

She gave a small nod. 'The big details yes and the invites and RSVPs have started to be returned.' She paused. 'Actually I wondered if perhaps you wanted to invite some friends to keep you company as Princess Laura and her family are unable to attend due to other commitments.'

My face fell. I hadn't seen Lolly in a long time and I hoped to be seeing her soon. But then maybe it was a good thing. My heart ached when I thought of Seb and I wondered constantly if he was thinking of me, what he was doing. Six months of service was going to be long and very painful and so far only two months had passed. 'Maybe it would be nice to have some friends there.' I decided. Some friendly faces.

'Wonderful.' She smiled. 'Perhaps your friend Lucy and her boyfriend, Nate, is it? And then maybe Zed. We do owe him a lot and he saved your life.'

I nodded and gave a small smile. I did owe Zed my life. Not that anyone knew that. 'I'll give them all a call.'

'I'll have invites sent over to school this afternoon.' Queen Roseanna said. 'And I'll add a little message inviting them to stay in the guest rooms here afterwards. Might as well make use of them now that they've been rennovated.' I simply nodded. 'So would you like to help me with preparations? I could do with an extra hand to help me pick flowers, centerpieces and food. Your father is very busy these next few weeks.'

I looked at the woman who treated me like a daughter these days, even though I was the result of her husband having an affair. She smiled at me warmly and lovingly, her gentle hands helping me to my feet. Queen Roseanna was a true Queen; beautiful, kind, caring and honest. More than that, she was forgiving. She had forgiven my father and, in ways, by taking me under her wing, she had forgiven my mother too. 'I'd love to help.'

The next week was spent keeping busy with organising the ball alongside the Queen, visits from Sally and Simon and schoolwork as I completed the last assignments due before the upcoming week off in just a week's time. Half-term started the day of the ball, so naturally my friends had RSVPed with a yes, claiming it was a good chance to celebrate the end of the second-to-last half-term before summer and before the new school year. It also fell just before the _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ headline tour, so the boys were going to be 'checking out' of their guest rooms on the Sunday and practically heading straight to Manchester for the first show that evening. They were going to have a very busy half-term break. I was confirming flowers with the florist the Wednesday before the ball when Zed turned up spontaneously, taking me by surprise. He came in his usual attire; skinny jeans and a black-tshirt and hoodie, rucsack slung over his shoulder and his guitar too. He looked tired and I sent off Hannah to make us some tea and bring us some food straight away.

'What are you doing here?' I asked him, surprised, as I ticked off the flower order, signing my name to show that I had seen it. I nibbled on my pencil as he sank down into the sofa beside me.

'I've got all of your graded papers.' He said with a smile. He unzipped his rucsack and passed over two thick brown envelopes. 'They were going to post them but I said I'd bring them here. Guess school trusts me nowadays. It's a weird feeling, not worrying that you're going to get kicked out.'

I raised my eyebrows. 'So no more getting caught smoking on campus?'

'I quit.' I looked at him in surprise and he shrugged. 'You were always saying you hated the smell.'

'You quit smoking because I didn't like the smell?' My voice was wary as I put down the clipboard and the flower order.

He shrugged again. 'Well my mum is happier and I guess it'll stop me getting all kinds of sickness when I'm older.' But he'd quit because of _me_? Wasn't that a little weird? He glanced at the order I'd put on the table. 'That's a lot of flowers.'

'We have to fill the ballroom.' I reminded him with a small smile. 'Centre pieces, decorations on the banisters and so on.'

'Rather you than me.' He gave me a lopsided smile. 'Has the Queen got you working hard?'

'She's kept me busy.' I replied, stretching. 'It's okay though, it's nice to be useful and I've actually learnt quite a lot about planning Royal parties. I suppose it'll come in handy one day.' He looked away, a distant look on his face, his smile gone. 'Are you looking forward to tour?' I changed the subject and he gave a small smile.

'Yeah it should be good if it all goes to plan.'

'I'm sure it will.'

'We've been learning a new song I wrote and I'm still not sure about it. The label wants us to play it but I don't know...' He trailed off as Hannah entered the room with tea, water and some homemade pizza and salad. Yum. 'Thank you.' Zed said at the same time as me and Hannah curtsied before leaving again.

'Can I hear it?'

'What?'

'Your new song.' I gave him what I hoped was a reassuring smile and he sucked in a deep breath, his confident persona gone and a nervous look on his face.

'Okay but please give me your honest opinion.' He grabbed his guitar case, unzipped it and carefully pulled out his guitar. He pulled it across his lap and bit his lip, thoughtfully, whilst he checked that it was in-tune. Then he started to strum and started to sing, his eyes closed as he concentrated and put emotion into the song. _'I thought that I'd been hurt before_

 _But no one's ever left me quite this sore_

 _Your words cut deeper than a knife_

 _Now I need someone to breathe me back to life_

 _Got a feeling that I'm going under_

 _But I know that I'll make it out alive_

 _If I quit calling you my lover_

 _Move on_

 _You watch me bleed until I can't breathe_

 _Shaking, falling onto my knees_

 _And now that I'm without your kisses_

 _I'll be needing stitches_

 _Tripping over myself_

 _Aching, begging you to come help_

 _And now that I'm without your kisses_

 _I'll be needing stitches.'_

The song was a heartfelt one, filled with emotion and it made me feel uneasy. It wasn't about me, was it? He finished the song and I gave a shy smile as he relaxed his arms, the scar on his bicep poking out of the sleeve of his t-shirt. 'Well?'

'It was good.' I told him. 'Really good. The fans will love it.'

He bit his lip. 'It's about Savannah.' I relaxed. 'She messed me about so many times, you know? I don't know why I kept going back to her. But it's well and truly over. It'll _never_ happen again. I can't believe I wasted so much time on her.'

It was weird hearing Zed talk about his love-life. We'd spoken about a lot of different things over the last few weeks; friends, families, television programmes, interests, aspirations. Not once had our love-lives come up and it felt weird, possibly because Zed was an ex of sorts. Not an ex-boyfriend, we'd not been official, but an ex-date perhaps? 'We all make mistakes.' I told him, unsure of what else to say. 'And Sally always told me you had to kiss a few frogs before you found your soulmate.'

His eyes flicked up to meet mine, his expression intense. I swallowed and glanced away as he spoke. 'I suppose you're right.'

'But yeah,' I changed back the subject, 'you should totally play that song.'

He gave a small smile as I looked back at him. 'Are you coming to our London concert next Saturday?'

I'd not even thought about it since Lucy had invited me weeks ago. She had two passes for the front row and backstage. Much to the annoyance of the band's manager, who still didn't like the fact that Nate had a girlfriend. 'I don't know.' I replied, honestly and he looked disappointed.

'Really? I'd like you there.'

I glanced down at my hands in my lap, at my nails that desperately needed a manicure before the ball on Saturday. 'I'll let you know.'

 _Dear Sky,_

 _Words cannot describe how much I miss you right now and how awful I feel that I cannot be beside you to watch you recover. I wish I was attending your family's Summer Ball too and that I was there beside you, to dance with you and hold you close._

 _I feel sometimes that I am holding you back, stopping you from being with a suitor who is not so far away, one who is able to join you for events and hold you close when you cry. I'm sorry for that. The guilt is consuming but I'm simply too selfish to let you go. You mean too much to me and I couldn't let you go, not like Zed did._

 _I hope the next four months hurry up so I can see your beautiful face,_

 _Seb xxx_

I put the letter down after reading it for the third time. My heart ached and tears brimmed in my eyes as Clara and Hannah moved around my bedroom, tidying it. They were fussing. They'd been fussing all week because a reporter was coming in to talk to me before my first public 'outing' as such at the ball that evening. I'd been tucked away, hidden, since my grandfather had died and a lot had happened since then. Nina would be sat with me the whole time, passing any questions that weren't suitable, but I still felt nervous. I knew they'd ask what happened with Ezra. It had gone to the press that he'd attacked me and it had also gone to press that Zed Benedict, lead singer of _Seven Minutes in Heaven,_ had jumped in front of a gun for me. It wasn't quite true, but the palace had confirmed that he had bravely saved me. My father was still considering making him a 'sir', which was a change of heart.

'Your highness, thank you so much for allowing me to see you today.' The young female reporter from _Cosmo Girl_ magazine greeted me with a handshake. She looked only a few years older than me and looked stylish in a dress I recognised from the Zara catalogue. She followed Nina's direction, seating herself in the sofa across from me. It was weird having a reporter in my room, but the palace was buzzing in preparation for the ball, so most of the other rooms were in use or at least being cleaned and tidied. Hannah and Clara curtsied and excused themselves as Nina explained the ground rules for the interview. I subtly wiped my clammy hands on my black knee-length skirt.

'I want you not to worry.' Anna, the reporter, said with a friendly smile. 'We're all friends here and if you're not comfortable with any questions then just say 'pass.'' She pulled out a dictaphone and sipped at the tea Nina had poured her as I crossed my ankles, the ladylike way to sit that I had been taught by Lady Clarence many months ago.

'Okay.' I smiled, hoping my nervousness didn't show. The sooner the interview was over, the sooner I could help the Queen prepare the ballroom and then Lucy would arrive and we could get ready for the ball together.

'How are you settling into life as a princess? You seem to be more confident now then you were back in September.'

'I am. I know what's expected and I'm confident with my role now and I'm starting to realise that I can make a difference.' I replied.

She nodded, sitting up in her seat. 'And what sort of things are you expected to do as a Princess? I'm guessing it's not like a Disney film.'

'If only.' I laughed. 'Singing to animals to help tidy your room would be great, but in real life princesses plan events, fundraise, work alongside charities, attend public events and openings and we have to support the King and Queen of course.'

'What's your favourite part about being a princess?'

'I know it sounds cliche, but it's helping people and trying to make a difference. Also, you meet a lot of incredible and inspirational people, which is fantastic.'

'What's your favourite outfit you've ever worn?'

The interview continued with easy questions and I felt relaxed, but I should have known that it wouldn't last. The mood soon changed and I had to really think about what I was saying.

'You've had a tough time recently after the loss of your grandfather. What have you learnt from him?'

I bit my lip before replying. 'I learnt that it's important to be yourself. That as long as you are true to yourself, you are beautiful inside and out and you can achieve anything. Even before I learnt to be a princess, he gave me a chance. He took his time to get to know me and never tried to change that.'

She nodded and gave a small smile of understanding. 'And then unfortunately your kidnapper came and attacked you when you were staying with friends in Wales at the beginning of the month. That must have been terrifying.'

I sucked in a deep breath. 'It was, but all I wanted was to protect my family and my friends. I would risk my life for them if I needed to.'

'But _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ singer Zed Benedict did just that for you. Risked his life and was shot protecting you.'

'Zed is a fantastic friend and I'll forever be in his debt.' I replied.

'But you're just friends?'

'Of course.' I gave a small smile. 'Zed's very much single and of course I'm spoken for with my own prince charming.' My smile widened when I thought of Seb.

I didn't like the look that Anna gave me at that point, because I really wasn't sure that she believed me.

The ballroom was busy with people carrying flowers, food, tables and chairs ready for the ball. Musicians carried their instruments as chandeliers were cleaned and I spotted Roseanna talking to a group of people in suits, a clipboard in her hand. She waved and smiled when she saw me and I walked over, curtsying as we were in public.

'Sorry I'm late, your majesty.' I apologised.

'It's okay. How was your interview?' She asked as some of the flowers I had ordered were carried past us in a vase.

'It was okay.' I replied, trying not to shrug as I would have done if we were in private. 'What can I do to help?'

'To be honest Sky, everything is sorted really.' She signalled around as table cloths were sorted and centerpieces were put in the middle of them. 'Unless you'd like to check that there were no last minute RSVPs?'

'Sure.'

I spent the afternoon distracting myself with small details that needed sorting, even helping decorate the banisters of the grand entrance staircase with flowers, and soon the ballroom looked perfect, ready for summer. Queen Roseanna left to get ready and I did the same, finding my best friend already in my room when I got there. Despite the fact she was having a facial, I pulled her into a hug. 'I've missed you!'

'And I've missed you!' She replied with a laugh. 'Even if it's only been a few days.'

'I'm used to seeing you everyday though.' I reminded her. 'I cannot wait to come back to school after half-term.'

'Did your dad okay it?'

'He had to.' I replied as I was ushered to my seat and my hair was tied back. 'Ezra's locked up.' I shuddered. 'I should be safe now.'

She gave a sympathetic smile. 'When's the court hearing?'

'Two weeks today.' I swallowed the bile rising in my throat. 'I'm dreading facing him again.'

'But then it will all be over.'

I sighed. 'I hope so.'

Even though I'd been given my 'princess' makeover many times now, for various events, I still found it relaxing. We were given facials and all blotchiness and skin imperfections magically seemed to vanish. Manicures and pedicures were given and then there was the less-comfortable waxing of legs and eyebrows. Either way, it always felt like I was being transformed into Princess Sky, not just the Sky Bright that had been wearing jeans an awful lot whilst recovering from an appendix operation. My make-up was applied the same as always and the front sections of my hair was pinned back into a half-updo, before being coated with enough hairspray to hold it in place. Then we had some food and I put on the dress, making me want to change my answer for the reporter; _this_ was quite possibly my new favourite outfit. My light pink dress was off-the-shoulder with lace cap-sleeves and a tight lace bodice, which was done up like a corset at the back. It fell out in a long light pink tulle skirt at the waist, applying to the "White Tie" dresscode, which also meant I would have to wear a tiara. I put on the family jewels and my silver strappy heels before leaving the bathroom.

'Wow Sky!' Lucy gasped, adjusting the cap sleeves on her mint-coloured dress, which had silver embroidered detail on it across the bodice and the princess-style tulle skirt.

At that moment, before I could even compliment my friend, the Queen walked in, looking ever the leader in a black sparkly ballgown. She looked perfect, especially with her diamond necklace and earrings and her crown atop her head.

'Your majesty.' Lucy said and we both curtsied.

'You both look lovely girls.' Roseanna smiled her familiar, warm smile. She turned to face me. 'Sky, that dress is perfect on you.'

'Thank you.' I blushed, feeling the heat rising in my cheeks. I decided not to mention that I'd placed a dressing and a bandage around my stomach, worried that the material was going to rub against my scar and make it sore.

Roseanna walked over to me, a box in her hand. 'I brought you a gift.'

I looked at the shape of it. 'Another tiara? I just assumed I was going to wear the Princess' Tiara.'

'Your father and I thought it was time you had your _own_ tiara.' She replied and she laughed at the shocked expression on my face. 'It's lovely to have heirlooms, Sky, but every member of the royal family has their own jewels too.' She opened the box and I gasped. The tiara was silver and made up of perfect diamond flowers and leaves intertwined. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before.

'It's beautiful.' I whispered as I looked at it in awe.

She smiled and placed the box down on my dresser, carefully removing the tiara. 'It should be. It's worth millions.'

I swallowed. 'Yet you want me to have it?'

'Princess Sky, it was made _for_ you. Exclusively.' She laughed and she carefully placed it on my head, careful not to mess up my hair. It felt surprisingly light considering how much it was worth. 'Much better.'

I turned my head to look in the mirror at the extravagant headwear. It suited me and it really did look lovely. The diamonds sparkled, reflecting the light in the room as Lucy smiled proudly behind me. 'Thank you.'

'You're very welcome.' Roseanna smiled. 'Now are you girls nearly ready? The guests have started to arrive and you'll need to head down there soon Lucy.'

'Okay.' My friend nodded with an excited smile.

'I'll see you in a minute.' Roseanna kissed my cheek and then she was gone, leaving me still in awe of the tiara on my head.

'I hope that thing's insured.' Lucy joked from behind me. 'Hey, maybe it'll end up in the Tower of London.'

I simply just blinked, hoping that my clumsiness wasn't going to cause _anything_ to happen to the most expensive thing I'd ever owned. Or that anyone had probably owned.

'Looking good sis.' Phillip greeted me at the top of the stairs as we were announced and I tried not to roll my eyes as he shot me a cheeky smile.

'Brushing up well yourself.' I replied as I took his arm and he led me down the stairs, something we'd done many times before.

'I don't think I'm the only one who thinks so.' He teased and I blushed as I released a lot of young men were watching me, some whispering and some simply just staring.

'Maybe I have something in my teeth?'

'Maybe it's the fancy new jewels.' He led me to the side where we waited as the King and Queen were announced. They walked down the stairs, my father looking smart in his service uniform and sash, matching my brother, and the Queen looking glamorous in her black dress. They greeted each of us with a kiss on the cheek after we curtsied/bowed as protocal and then the music started.

'The tiara suits you perfectly, darling.' My father told me, holding his hand out for me. 'Will you do your father the honor of the first dance?' The string orchestra made me feel nervous and instantly reminded me of my time in Capri. But everyone was looking our way and I couldn't turn down a dance from my father, the _King_ could I?

'Of course.' I said, formally, and he led me to the middle of the crowd as my brother did the same to his mother. I didn't recognise the song but it was slow and it was simple as my father moved me around the floor in a simple waltz, with me counting in my head because I was terribly out of practice.

Thankfully, the song soon ended and with a curtsy from me and I bow from my father, we headed off in different directions to enjoy the Summer ball. My friends were easy to spot. Nate stood with his arm around Lucy, whispering something to her that was making her laugh and Zed was already looking my way, a lopsided smile on his face. I walked over to them and held back a laugh when they bowed/curtsied at me, formal protocal in place.

'Your highness.' Lucy said, stifling a laugh and I bit my lip to hold back a laugh too.

'I must say your highness, you are looking as beautiful as ever.' Zed said, his voice even and smooth.

I swallowed as my cheeks flushed. 'Thank you.' I wanted to tell him he looked good too, but I decided it wasn't appropriate. Even if he did look sexy in a white shirt, white waistcoat, white bow tie and tailcoats (standard White Tie). Like a young James Bond but hotter. And I was definitely feeling shaken, not stirred. I mentally slapped myself and thought of Seb when he'd dressed for White Tie events before. He'd looked damn good too.

Nate and Lucy raised their eyebrows, but didn't say anything.

'Champagne?' A waitress approached us and I was thankful to take a glass of champagne, as did my friends.

'So do you have to mingle this evening?' Lucy asked, her eyes flicking around the room.

I nodded. 'I'm thinking maybe if I do it now and get it over with then we can all have some fun?'

'Sounds like a good idea.'

'Your highness, looking radiant this evening.' Marcus' voice caught me by surprise and he bowed beside me as Zed gave him an irritated once-over.

'Hello Marcus.' I smiled.

'How _are_ you?' It was sympathetic-sounding and I didn't like it, but I had a feeling I was going to experience a lot of that that evening.

'I'm fine thank you.' I replied, trying to be calm.

'I'll have to get back to your driving lessons now you're better.' He smiled and I simply just nodded as Lady Clarence appeared. She curtsied and I groaned, inwardly.

'Your highness, you look lovely this evening.' She told me, formally and I faked a smile.

'As do you, Lady Clarence.' I replied. 'Do you remember my friends, Lucy, Nate and Zed?'

'Of course.'

Thankfully, I mingled enough in the first hour to keep away from any nobles, Royals and wealthy men and women for a while, which was a relief. I looked around for my friends and smiled when I saw Nate and Lucy dancing together, happiness etched on their faces. I sighed, feeling a little envious.

'They're sickeningly adorable aren't they?' Zed's voice caught me by surprise and I looked at him, stood beside me.

'They are.' I agreed. 'But I'm very happy for them.'

'Me too.' He nodded. 'How did mingling go?'

'Ah, you know, polite formalities.' I wrinkled my nose. 'You have to remember so much about people that it makes your head hurt. The Primeminister's dog has recovered from his broken leg you'll be happy to know.'

He let out a soft chuckle. 'I was wondering how Bertie was getting on.'

'You mean Bruno.' I corrected and he laughed again. 'Have you been keeping busy?'

He nodded. 'There's a few girls here who recognised Nate and I because they're fans so they wanted me to pose for selfies with them.' He smirked and I elbowed him, unladylike. 'And then there are the people that wanted to praise my bravery and thank me for saving you.' He gave a small smile and he fiddled with his bow tie. 'Bloody hell it's hot in here.'

'Language.' I said as an elderly woman passed us, her eyebrows raised. 'You're stood with the princess.'

'Can't forget it with that crown on your head.' He teased.

I caught one of the security guards as he passed. 'Malcolm, could you please have the air con turned up in here? It's getting rather hot.'

'Of course your highness.' He smiled and he bowed before disappearing through the guests.

'Thanks.' Zed nodded. He grabbed two champagne flutes from a passing waitress and passed one to me.

'Are you trying to get me drunk, Mr Benedict? Because I'm pretty sure that's treason.' I smirked and he grinned back, clinking his glass against mine. 'Don't let Lady Clarence see you do that. She has a strict no-clinking policy.'

He wrinkled his nose. 'Being royalty sounds so boring.'

'It has its perks sometimes.' I signalled to the dress and the tiara and smiled. 'Endless supply of fabulous clothes.'

'They're nice and all but I still like it when you're in a sundress and converse.' He sipped at his drink as his eyes bored into mine and the song changed. I sucked in a deep breath as I recognised the tune to _See you again_ and I bit my lip as tears started to brim. 'Hey.' Zed reached out and gave my arm a gentle squeeze as I took a sip of my drink, before putting it down. I had a funny taste in my mouth.

'Sorry.' I apologised, looking downwards as Zed's fingers gently caressed the bare skin of my arm, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

'It's okay to be upset.' He gave me a small smile as I looked back up at him. 'It's a song that means a lot to you.'

'Am I going to feel like this everytime the song comes on?'

He looked thoughtful for a moment. 'I don't think so.' He paused and held out his hand. 'Dance with me.'

'Zed I-'

'It's not a question.' He gave me a lopsided smile and I rolled my eyes.

'Still using that one, huh?'

'Still works, huh?' He pulled me gently onto the dancefloor and held my hand gently as he placed his free hand on my waist. I moved my free hand to his shoulder and we gently moved in time to the music as my eyes watered, the lyrics filling my mind even though it was an instrumental. Zed twirled me around and I bit my lip, realising I was going to have to concentrate if I wasn't going to fall flat on my face. 'Is this so bad?' Zed whispered as we moved together, our bodies thankfully not pressed against each other.

'I suppose not.' I replied, wishing that my heart wasn't fluttering at the thought of how close he was. I was sure it was because I just missed Seb and longed for closeness. He twirled me around, this time pulling me in closer and my breath caught as I looked up at him. His eyes were looking into mine and I wanted to melt there and then in his arms.

But then the song ended and I pulled away.

I couldn't sleep that night. I tossed and turned in my bed as I cried, my minds drifting bad to my grandfather. I'd worn the jewellery he'd left me and it now sat in its box on my dresser, next to the box containing my tiara. My father had said in my speech that this was my grandfather's favourite event of the year. And I knew he would have loved it. That wasn't the only reason I couldn't sleep, though, I hated to admit. I missed Seb, but worst of all, I'd felt content in Zed's arms as he danced with me and for a minute I'd almost felt safe, relaxed, for the first time in weeks. For the first time since Seb had left. And then there was the way he made my heart flutter. At some point, I drifted off to sleep.

 _I was running through what looked like the palace gardens at first but then I was in a forest, a woodland. I was being chased. I could hear the footsteps behind me, but I didn't want to look back in case I fell. It was hard running in the big, white ballgown I wore, the one made up of lots of layers. I lifted it as I ran, having lost my shoes a while back, but every now and then I would stumble over the uneven ground, where there were roots of trees or rocks._

 _I turned my face and then I saw him, his familiar menacing eyes. And I fell._

I woke up startled and I knew I'd screamed because my guards had come inside to check I was okay. I simply nodded, told them it was a bad dream, and they returned to their posts as I ran a hand through my wild blonde curls, wishing my heart rate would slow. I felt sick and scared. Why did this dream constantly haunt me? It had filled my dreams for the last two months, on and off. There was a knock at the door and I tensed, but then I remembered my guards were outside and they wouldn't let just anyone knock.

'Yes?' My voice sounded strangled and I realised I was really thirsty.

The door opened and I saw it was Zed, his hair messy from sleep and in checked pyjama shorts and a black t-shirt. 'Sky? I heard you scream. What's wrong?' His voice was hoarse and I knew I'd woken him up.

'Sorry I woke you. It was just a stupid dream.' I replied. It was the reason why Lucy was in a guest room across the hall and not in my room; I'd not wanted to wake her if I had a nightmare again.

'Do you want to talk about it.' He crossed the room and perched on the end of my bed, giving me just enough distance.

I shook my head. 'It's silly. You should go back to bed.'

'It's not silly if it's shaken you up.' He looked sad and that was when I realised I was crying.

'Oh god, I'm so sorry.' I groaned, wiping away the tears. At least I'd taken off all of my make-up. Zed moved closer to me, so that he was sat beside me, and I held my breath as he reached out, catching a tear, his fingers leaving a burning sensation on my face.

'Sky, talk to me.' He whispered.

'It's nothing... I just keep having the same dream. I'm in a ballgown and I'm running, being chased through a forest and then I fall and that's when I wake up.' I bit my lip and broke eye contact.

'How long have you been having this dream?'

'About two months.'

He sighed and his hand met mine, his thumb stroking the back of my hand as he gently held it. My heart fluttered and I mentally slapped myself. 'Who is chasing you in your dream?'

'I don't know. I thought it was Ezra, but it can't be now, can it?' I bit my lip and frowned.

'No it can't. He's never going to hurt you again.' His voice was soft and somewhat calming. 'Lie down and try to get some sleep.'

'I'm not sure I can. I don't want that dream again.'

'Lie down.' He whispered again. 'I'll stay here until you're asleep.'

I did as he said, laying back down under the covers as he rested his head against the headboard beside me. I turned away from him, feeling stupid and then feeling guilty for waking him up. I let my chest gently rise and fall but a couple more tears escaped, rolling down my cheeks.

 _'It's just another night_

 _And I'm staring at the moon_

 _I saw a shooting star_

 _And thought of you.'_ He sang softly, his voice not much above a whisper, but just enough for me to relax my shoulders. _'I sang a lullaby_

 _By the waterside and knew_

 _If you were here,_

 _I'd sing to you.'_ I closed my eyes and focussed on my breathing as his voice, like liquid velvet, filled my ears. _'You're on the other side_

 _As the skyline splits in two_

 _I'm miles away from seeing you_

 _But I can see the stars_

 _From America_

 _I wonder, do you see them, too?'_ We weren't touching but it felt like I was wrapped around in the words and I could feel myself drifting off. _'So open your eyes and see_

 _The way our horizons meet_

 _And all of the lights will lead_

 _Into the night with me_

 _And I know these scars will bleed_

 _But both of our hearts believe_

 _All of these stars will guide us home.'_

I fell asleep.


	32. Is it too late now to say sorry?

'Good morning!'

The cheery voice belonging to my best friend made me flinch and I opened my eyes, realising that Zed was lying beside me, his arm draped across my waist. Oh shit. I glanced at my friend as Zed groaned, moving his arm and visibly waking up. Her eyebrows were raised on here forehead and I couldn't read what it meant.

'Zed, Nate said that the car for you two is coming in half an hour.' Lucy continued.

'Ah, fuck!' Zed cursed, sitting up beside me. He gave me a sympathetic smile and then hurried out of my bedroom.

'Well I wasn't expecting that.' My friend said, walking across the room in her pyjamas and perching on the end of my bed as I recovered from shock. I sat up carefully, feeling like I was hungover, only I wasn't. I felt panicky and even guilty, guilty that I'd let Zed fall asleep beside me. It was innocent, yes, but I wasn't sure how Seb would feel about that.

'I had a nightmare.' I replied, weakly. 'Zed came in and we talked.' And he sang to me, I added silently. 'And then I fell asleep. We weren't _touching_ when I fell asleep. I guess he must have fallen asleep too.'

My friend studied my face for a moment and then she sighed. 'Your life is so complicated.'

'I know, but Zed was just being a good friend.'

'It's always been you, Sky. Even when he was with Savannah, he liked you. Heck, he might even love you.'

'Don't be ridiculous.'

'I'm serious.' She replied. 'And don't get me wrong, Seb is great, he really is, but I like you and Zed together. I've known him years and he's always his best around you. He's given up smoking, you know?'

'I do.' I nodded. 'Because I didn't like the smell apparently.'

'That boy would move continents for you, I swear. He risked his life for you. There's something kinda intense about it, like there's more to it.'

She had no idea.

Half-term week was just like the last five weeks, except my friends weren't at school so I was able to spend time with them. On Monday and Tuesday, Lucy and I hung out with Tina and Zoe at the palace, making the most of the sunshine by spending time outdoors and we even had a movie night at my apartment in Kensington, my father and stepmother deciding I was well enough to spend some time there. Then Zoe and Tina headed off for their break in Paris with Zoe's family, so it was just Lucy and I. I didn't mind. She was good company and she was my best friend. We spent time watching Audrey Hepburn films and irritating my brother, which was always a positive, and she even came with me when I attended an art gallery opening on Princess business.

Then, on Friday, when Lucy had headed home for her mum's birthday, a letter arrived.

I smiled at the familiar handwriting but my stomach twisted with guilt as I thought back to the previous weekend, when Zed had fallen asleep in my bed with me. I took the envelope back to my living room and opened it carefully as I sank into my favourite armchair, pulling my feet up onto the chair with me so I was sat a little curled up.

 _Dear Sky,_

 _I've been staring at this page for hours just wondering what to write and I think it took even longer because I'm angry, sick with myself. Something has happened and I need to be honest with you because it will change everything._

My heart sank and I felt like I was going to throw up.

 _We called at a port a few days ago, one we've not yet called at, and we had some free-time there to explore and to grab some food. When I was there, I heard someone talking to me, talking in my head telepathically. I'm not sure if you've ever experienced this, if you have, you've never said, but I remember what my father and mother told me about soulfinders. That they can communicate with each other telepathically. I met a girl, Angelika, and believe it or not, she can talk into my head and she has super-strength._

I blinked, knowing where this was going.

 _Together, we healed someone Sky! Someone with a broken leg! Can you believe it? Our powers together, her half and my half were able to help someone._

 _This is the hardest thing I've ever had to write because you make me so happy and I care so much about you, but I can't be there for you and you deserve someone who can be there and who can protect you. I want to stay in contact, I want to stay friends and I want to visit you as soon as my service is over, but for now Sky, I don't think this is the time for us. You'll always have a piece of my heart, I hope you know that._

 _I'll understand if you don't write back, but I'd like to hear from you. You're still my very best friend. As a savant yourself, I hope you understand and I hope you can find your soulfinder._

 _All the best,_

 _Seb x_

Two months in service and, by chance, he'd met his soulfinder. And they'd used their powers together. And he wanted to get to know her better. I threw the letter, but the lack of weight caused it to fall to the ground straight away. I felt angry, upset, betrayed. He'd promised not to hurt me. He was supposed to be different. And with his sparkly blue eyes, perfect hair and charming behaviour, he had been.

My phone buzzed. _Lolly._ I hestitated, but I knew I had to pick it up. 'Hello?'

'Sky? Are you okay?' She sounded worried and I realised my voice was hoarse. My throat was swollen and tears were falling down my cheeks.

'I... I got a letter from Seb.'

'Oh Sky, I'm so sorry.' She sounded sympathetic in her thick accent, one I missed hearing. 'I've had a letter come through today too. That's why I called you.' She paused. 'I don't understand why he is risking losing you for some girl he hardly knows.'

'Because she's his soulfinder.' I whispered, my forehead creasing as I frowned.

'He told you?' She sounded surprised.

'He did.' I confirmed. 'Lolly, I'm a savant too. He didn't tell you that. I've not even told my family either. I know what a soulfinder is and I know why that's important to him.'

'I bet she's not even pretty.' She said and I laughed a little. 'I can't believe he's risking it all for her, soulfinder or not. She'll never be as pretty or kind or caring as you.'

'Thanks Lolly.' I said.

'I've got to go, mum and dad want me but promise you'll come and visit soon? Or I will come and visit you. Either way, we have to see each other, you're like a sister to me and I don't want that to change.'

'Me neither.'

I hung off the phonecall and stared at the wallpaper on my phone. Seb and I with the Northern Lights. I deleted the wallpaper and the images from my phone that had him in them. Then I sent Lucy a text, not wanting to call and disturb her family day.

 _Seb and I broke up. He's met someone else. Knew it was too good to be true xx_

And, like a good friend, she called straight away anyway, speaking to me for over an hour as I moaned down the phone to her, feeling sick and feeling fed up.

I wasn't sure who told my brother, Lolly or Lucy, but he knocked on the door of my apartment that evening armed with takeaway food and flowers.

'You look crap, sis.' He commented as he passed me, closing the door behind him. He passed me some flowers. 'Flowers cheer girls up, right?'

'I suppose.' I gave a small smile and retrieved them from him. 'Thanks.'

'I brought food too. I know food's always a winner. I've got some Indian sent over from this place in Camden.' I followed him as he walked to the kitchen, grabbing plates and cutlery as I put the flowers, the extravagant bouquet, in a vase of water. And then, suddenly, I just crumpled. 'Hey, it's going to be okay.' Phillip was there in an instant, wrapping me in his arms, rubbing my bag. 'My god, I'm going to kick that guy's ass. There's going to be a war between Norway and England for sure when I'm King.'

I gave a small smile as my brother held me. 'Don't be ridiculous.'

'I'm serious. He wants good relations then don't break my little sister's heart. Wait till he gets out of the navy, then we're having a serious talk. He's made the biggest mistake of his life.'

'But she might be lovely.'

'I don't care if she's lovely, she's no Princess Sky of England.' He pulled back to see my face, his eyes sincere.

'But she's his soulfinder.' A tear rolled down my cheek and Phillip frowned.

'She's his soulfinder?' He looked surprised, taken aback maybe. I nodded mutely and he pulled me into him again. 'Oh, sis, it's going to be okay. I promise everything will be okay.'

Phillip stayed with me until late that night, before heading back to his apartment nextdoor. We ate far too much Indian food, watched some comedy films on Netflix and he listened, his voice soothing as I spoke about the hurt I was experiencing. A year ago, I hadn't known who my mother or father were and I didn't know that I had a brother either. Eight months after finding out about my new family, and I really didn't know how I'd coped before without an older brother. Sure, he teased me and wound me up, but he was there to talk to, to hold me when I cried, to threaten to beat up any guy that hurt me. Prince Phillip was caring and compassionate and a family man, some of the reasons why one day, I knew my brother was going to be an excellent King.

I woke up feeling groggy the next day as my doorbell rang and rang and rang. I groaned, pulling my dressing gown on over my pyjama vest and shorts, and I walked across my soft carpet to the front door of my apartment. I opened it carefully and there stood Lucy, armed with a mini suitcase and a Tesco shopping bag. 'Lucy? What are you doing here?' I asked, surprised.

'An intervention.' She replied, letting herself in. I closed the door behind her. 'Are you still not dressed? It's midday.'

Was it? I'd not even realised. I knew I'd gone to sleep pretty late, but I hadn't realised I'd slept in so late either. 'You woke me.' I replied and she sighed before enveloping me in a hug.

'Guys are dicks.' She said, simply. 'And before you say so, I know I've got Nate but he can be a dick sometimes too. Just like any guy.'

'I could just pull an Elizabeth I and not have any husband or kids ever?' I suggested and Lucy wrinkled her nose.

'I think that's going a bit far.' She held up her Tesco bag. 'I have ice-cream, but as you've not had breakfast yet, how about some pancakes?'

'I'm not hungry.'

'You will be when you smell these babies.' She headed off to the kitchen and I followed her, watching as she moved around like the apartment was hers, knowing where every piece of equipment was. She got to work, mixing and then she was pouring the mixture in the frying pan and flipping it like a pro. She dished the first pancake onto a plate and nudged it my way. 'Eat.'

'I'm not hungry.' I said, weakly, as I enhaled the scent. Man it was good.

'Nutella?' She passed the jar along the counter towards me and I caught it before it could slide off the edge.

My mouth watered and I gave in, smothering the pancake in Nutella and adding a few of the strawberries Lucy had brought too. I cut a slice of pancake and put it in my mouth, groaning. 'Mmm this stuff is _good_.'

She smiled. 'I told you so. It's my dad's recipe. Not just a Grammy-winner, my father.'

'Nope, I'm definitely coming round for a roast dinner sometime.'

She laughed as she flipped the next pancake. 'I'm sure he'd like that.'

'Haven't you got the _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ concert this evening?' I asked, realising what day it was.

'You mean, haven't _we_ got the _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ concert this evening.' She wiggled her eyebrows and I rolled my eyes.

'I'm not going. I've been saying that for weeks and I think... I think now I have even more reason not to go.'

'Pfft.' She rolled her eyes this time. 'So Prince Yummy dumps you and you just stop doing _everything._ Really? Sky, you're better than that. I know you cared about him and he was great, my opinion might have changed of him now, but you can't let him ruin your life. You're young, beautiful, a _princess_. You deserve to have fun.'

'Maybe but I'm not sure I'm ready for fun. A movie and some Ben and Jerrys sounds like the perfect Saturday night to me.'

She tutted as she put her pancake onto her plate. 'Do I have to call Lolly? Because I know she would totally agree with me. I spoke to her last night and she's pretty pissed at her brother. More than pissed even. And apparently his parents aren't pleased either.'

'Mmm.' I picked up a strawberry and popped it into my mouth.

'Come on. We're going to go shopping, buy some smokin' new outfits and then we're going to get glammed up, take loads of photos so Seb can see what he's missing and then we'll go to the concert and afterparty!' She nudged me with her elbow.

'See what he's missing? They hardly have Instagram when they're in the navy.'

'But they have newspapers, don't they?' She grinned. 'Come on Sky, _please._ Don't make me go to a _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ concert alone. The hysterical fans will rip me to shreds.'

I sighed. 'Fine. But _only_ because I'm a good friend.'

Lucy dragged me around Oxford Street that afternoon as my guards surrounded us, making it obvious who we were even if I was hid under sunglasses. The press caught on and snapped photos of us disappearing in and out of shops and even of us grabbing an early dinner. Then, armed with bags, we headed back to my Kensington apartment, where we started getting ready. As Lucy finished my smokey-eyed make-up, the make-up that was sexy but not too much (and it did make me look about eighteen), the doorbell rang and sure enough, my brother was stood there.

'Going out?' He asked, taking in my outfit (a red skater dress with petticoat underneath to make it pouffy, leather jacket and black converse) and make-up.

'Yeah.' I gave a small smile.

'She wasn't going to but I told her she had to!' Lucy said, appearing by my side in black high-waisted shorts, a sequin crop top and a black blazer, black ankle boots on her feet.

'Good call, Luce.' Phillip said with a smile. 'Where are you off to?'

' _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ concert and afterparty.' Lucy replied. 'It's their closing night of tour.'

'Sweet.' My brother nodded. 'Well have fun and remember to call Wilfred to pick you up after? I just wanted to check you were okay.'

I gave a small smile, starting to feel nervous now. 'Thanks.'

Phillip disappeared off down the hallway, clearly going out himself, and Lucy beamed from beside me. 'Your brother is adorable and so caring.'

'He is.' I nodded. 'I'm very lucky.'

The venue, Shepherd's Bush Empire, was only a fifteen minute drive from Kensington and that was in traffic. I sat nervously beside Lucy, fiddling with the Access All Areas pass that I wore around my neck, as Lucy pinned the waterfall braid in place on my head. We were running late, mainly because Lucy had got cross with her winged eyeliner, but I didn't mind being late because when we arrived, no one was queuing outside to get in and most fans had left the foyer and had headed into the arena to listen to the support act. The manager came to talk to my security, confirming who they were and then giving them their AAA passes, which they tucked into their pockets out of sight.

'Blimey.' Lucy said and I followed her gaze to the merchandise with Nate, Zed and Zack's faces on it. A few girls huddled by the merch wearing Mrs Benedict t-shirts and I had deja-vu of the first _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ concert I'd been to. I giggled as did Lucy as the girls chose some posters of the boys and the girls turned in our direction to see what the giggling was about. Their mouths dropped into an 'o' shape as the penny dropped and I wished I'd kept on my sunglasses.

'Y-y-you're the princess.' A girl stuttered, looking at me in awe.

'We're supposed to curtsy.' Her friend said and they half-curtsied.

'Don't worry about it.' I gave them a friendly smile and brushed it off as Lucy continued to giggle beside me. I elbowed her in the ribs, trying to get her to shut up.

'Can we please have a photo with you?' One of the other girls asked, her green eyes looking into mine. She looked about twelve or thirteen.

'Her Royal Highness-' One of my guards started but I interrupted.

'It's fine.' I told him. 'Sure, but best be quick. Don't want to miss the band.' I posed for a few pictures and we made our way into the arena, aware that eyes followed us as we passed. My security stood to each side of the venue, where they could see me but weren't smothering. We sank into our seats, which were front row and almost the middle, and a few girls near us gawped and started whispering. 'Why did you make me come out?'

'Because we're going to have fun.' Lucy reassured me as the opening act finished and the audience clapped, some screaming. 'Give me your phone.' I did as I was told and I looked over her shoulder.

'What are you doing?' She had the picture we had taken of the two of us at my apartment up and she was on Instagram. I watched her type the caption " _All the women, who independent, throw your hands up at me."_ And she posted it. 'Hey!'

She grinned. 'We're posting lots of photos, remember? We just won't tell the world you're at the concert until we're out of here.'

I rolled my eyes. 'You're mad.'

'But you love it.'

It wasn't long before the lights dimmed and the crowd started screaming more hysterically as they knew what was coming. A countdown started on the stage in front of us. Behind us, cameras and phones were out, glowsticks were in the air and so were banners, most with proposals on them or other comments about loving the guys.

'Nate, I want your babies!' A girl screamed from behind us and Lucy's eyebrows shot up.

'Don't worry.' I told her. 'He'll have yours.'

'Not for a while, I hope.' My friend choked, her eyes wide.

The sound of a bass filled in air and the high-pitch screams continued, making me wince.

'I bet the guards are going to wish that tonight was their night off!' I called out over the top of the music to Lucy and she laughed as some girls shot daggers our way. Clearly we were ruining the atmosphere or something.

It got to the final ten seconds and the screaming became louder than before as some girls started chanting the names of the guys. Lucy cheered beside me and I rolled my eyes, making her laugh. The clock reached zero and the stage and arena went into complete darkness. A guitar joined into the music. Then a drum. The lights flashed and girls screamed as Zack seemed to have appeared there, onstage. Then the lights flashed again and Zed and Nate were there, one on the left of the stage and one on the right.

'Ah man, why do we get Zed?' Lucy pouted as he paused almost in front of us and they started to sing.

 _'You're like perfection, some kind of holiday_

 _You've got me thinking, that we can run away_

 _You want I'll take you there_

 _You tell me when and where_

 _Ooohh oh oh.'_

Zed's eyes met mine and he glanced at me in surprise before smiling and I felt a blush creep across my cheeks.

 _'But then I, asked for your number_

 _Said you don't have a phone,_

 _It's getting late now_

 _I've gotta let you know that.'_

His eyes moved away and he started to move across the stage, meeting Nate in the middle as they played their instruments. _'Everybody wants to take you home tonight_

 _But I'm gonna find a way to make you mine.'_

The whole crowd started to jump and they sang along to the music as Zed, Nate and Zack sang into their microphones. They kicked off the show with a bang, I'd give them that. The whole crowd was loving it and a few girls on my right were even crying as Lucy and I danced together, without the jumping as I didn't want to split my stitches (even if it had been six weeks).

'Well hello London.' Zed said breathlessly when they'd finished their first song. He grabbed a bottle of water and took a swig as the crowd screamed.

'Thank you for having us!' Nate said and cue more screams.

'This is our last stop on our tour, would you believe it?' Zed said with his cocky smile. 'And we intend to make this night go out with a bang! Can you do that London?'

Cue screams. 'Of course they can!' Zack piped up. 'We _know_ London can party because we go to school here!' More screaming.

'Well then London, I want to see each and every one of you singing and dancing to this next one. If you think you're too cool to sing or dance then you've come to the wrong concert.'

They continued through the setlist and Lucy had me dancing with her to as many songs as we could. Then they slowed down the pace with a few acoustic songs, including _Stitches_ , before it was time for a cover.

'Okay London, you're going to have to bear with me here because this is a little new to me.' Zed said into the microphone. He took a sip of his water. 'So I recently learnt the piano with a little help from one of my friends. I hope you like it.' He walked and sat down at the piano and I felt Lucy's eyes burning into me.

'What?' I asked, innocently and she rolled her eyes.

'Don't act so innocent.' She said and I blushed.

He played the first chords and I recognised it straight away. I swallowed as he started to sing and the crowd screamed. _'You gotta go and get angry at all of my honesty_

 _You know I try but I don't do too well with apologies_

 _I hope I don't run out of time. Could someone call a referee?_

 _'Cause I just need one more shot at forgiveness_

 _I know you know that I made those mistakes maybe once or twice_

 _And by once or twice I mean maybe a couple of hundred times_

 _So let me, oh, let me redeem, oh, redeem, oh, myself tonight_

 _'Cause I just need one more shot, second chances_

 _Yeah_

 _Is it too late now to say sorry?_

 _'Cause I'm missing more than just your body, oh_

 _Is it too late now to say sorry?_

 _Yeah, I know-oh-oh, that I let you down_

 _Is it too late to say I'm sorry now?'_

'Now why do I get the feeling this is completely directed at you?' Lucy teased and I bit my lip as Zed looked our way, his eyes looking into my soul.

'Don't be ridiculous.'

'Mmhmmm.'

When the song ended, the crowd went wild and Zed stood up, moving back to the space in front of us. He winked down at me and I blushed, knowing Lucy was blatantly smirking beside me.

'I think he did pretty good, didn't he London?' Nate said into the microphone and the crowd cheered again. I was sure I was going to be deaf by the end of the night.

'I'm afraid we've only got two songs left.' Zack said and the crowd booed. 'Unless of course you want an encore.' Cue more screams.

'We're going to get you dancing again now.' Zed said into the microphone. 'Be prepared to get hot and sweaty.' Cue more screams.

'My ears!' I winced and Lucy laughed beside me.

'For this one, I want to hear you all singing and dancing along. And it's funny really because the girl I wrote this about is actually here tonight.' Zed said and the crowd screamed as he smirked, looked my way and the chords started up. ' _Now don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me, I said you're holding back, she said-'_

'Shut up and dance with me!' The crowd shouted and the guys grinned as they moved around the stage.

'Ground swallow me whole.' I said and Lucy grabbed my arm, twirling me around.

'You made your own grave.' My friend pointed out as Zed sang looking my way. 'Just enjoy it.'

When the concert finished, I felt boiling and I was glad I'd taken off my leather jacket. Girls started heading out quickly, hoping to get a spot by the stagedoor in the hope that they would meet the guys, and Lucy pulled me off to the toilets so we could quickly redo our make-up and spritz ourselves with spray. I reapplied my foundation, getting rid of my shiny forehead and I fixed my eyes where the make-up had smudged from being boiling thanks to hundreds of dancing, screaming girls. Two girls walked into the bathroom behind us, gushing about how amazing the concert was, and they paused when they saw us.

'You're Princess Sky!' One of them said open-mouthed. I ran a hand through my girls, having fixed them, and I saw their eyes flick to the Access-All-Areas pass around our necks.

'I am.' I replied with a small smile.

'I read your interview in Cosmo this morning.' The other one said. 'I can't believe Zed saved your life. He's so brave.'

'He is.' I nodded.

'But Prince Sebastien is cute too.'

I tensed and Lucy squeezed my hand, reminding me she was there. 'It was nice to meet you.' I said to the two of them and then we slipped off out of the toilet, my guards waiting for us just outside.

'Are you okay?' Lucy asked and I gave a small smile and nod. She didn't seem convinced. 'Come on, the night is still young.'

We flashed our AAA passes at the door for backstage and we walked down a long corridor, following signs for the dressing rooms. The dressing room door was guarded by security, the door marked with a _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ sign. The security eyeballed us and their eyes glanced over at my security, who were stood behind me with folded arms. Then they nodded at us and moved aside, allowing Lucy to knock on the door.

'Yep?' A voice I recognised as Nate's called. Lucy opened the door and I followed her in, averting my eyes when I realised that Zed was topless. 'Hey!' Nate beamed. He kissed Lucy and then turned to me. 'Nice surprise Sky.'

I gave a small smile. 'Great show.'

'It went well, didn't it?' He looked pleased. 'I think that was the best show of the tour actually. The crowd were mental.'

'They were.' Lucy laughed. 'I think Sky and I have almost gone deaf.'

He draped his arm around his girlfriend's shoulder and kissed the top of her head, making me look away. Lucy shrugged out of her grip and he mouthed 'sorry' to me, obviously having been filled in. I looked over at Zack, who was sat on his phone, already changed into fresh clothes. He caught me looking and gave me a small smile before returning to whatever he was doing. Then Zed came over, thankfully changed into a fresh v-neck t-shirt, showing his muscles but at least he wasn't topless.

'What changed your mind?' Zed asked, a warm smile on his face as he walked over to me.

'Lucy.' I nodded to my best friend. 'I don't think I would have got away with _not_ coming.'

He laughed, a melodious sound. 'Yeah, no offence Luce but you can be pretty scary.'

'She needed a night out.' Lucy said with a smile.

'Yeah, I agree, after your operation it's time you let your hair down.'

I blinked and looked over at Lucy and then at Nate. He didn't know. He didn't know that I'd been dumped. But then maybe that was a good thing. I gave him a small smile. 'Yeah, sure.'

'Are you guys coming to the afterparty?' Zack asked from his place on the sofa. 'There's room in the limo.'

Lucy nodded and I sucked in a deep breath. 'Yeah, I think we are.'

The afterparty was at Montezuma, a club about five minutes drive from my apartment in Kensington. We shared a limo with the guys, one of my guards joining us and the others heading over in one of the Royal cars, planning to arrive before us. When we got to the venue, a red carpet had been rolled out and fans were there, hanging around, as were the press. I blew out my breath in a whistle and Lucy looked nervous.

'We just have to walk straight in.' Nate reassured his girlfriend, squeezing her hand. 'Unless you want to stop and pose for pictures.'

'Definitely not!' Lucy and I chorused and we both laughed.

'The other guards are here your highness.' Malcolm, my guard, told me and I simply nodded.

'Well if you're all sitting around, I'm going in!' Zack pushed past us, climbing out of the limo first. His name was called and he waved for the cameras and started signing a few autographs. I was surprised there were so many young girls still out when it was getting so late.

'Ready?' Nate took Lucy's hand and they headed out of the limo together. I followed closely behind, wanting to keep with my best friend, but the press were going wild over the fact that Nate was holding her close, protectively, and confirming well and truly that they were in a relationship. And then they spotted me and Zed behind me. Suddenly I became the distraction.

'Your highness!'

'Princess Sky!'

'Princess! Over here!'

I gave the press a shy smile as the questions were fired as we walked up the red carpet towards the door.

'Are you and Zed an item?'

'Zed, why did you choose to save Sky's life?'

Zed hesitated beside me, but I kept walking and Lucy grabbed me, linking arms with me. 'What kind of question is that?' Zed asked. 'Are you saying you wouldn't save your best friend's life? Or the princess' life for that matter?'

'Keep walking.' I whispered to Lucy and we did, leaving _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ to deal with the press outside.

Montezuma wasn't a huge club, but it was big enough to hold an afterparty. We walked down the stairs into the function room, which consisted of a bar lined with bar stools, a large wooden dancefloor, a DJ booth and booths to sit in. We left our jackets at the cloakroom and champagne was given to us almost instantly from a passing waitress.

'This place is pretty cool.' Lucy commented, looking around at the modern interior that seemed to flash and change colour under the disco lights. The room was buzzing with music artists, a few celebrities I recognised from television and gossip magazines, and people who worked for the label or had worked for the tour.

'It is.' I nodded, suddenly feeling underdressed as a model walked past in a skin-tight black mini dress, her long legs perfectly smoothed and tanned, looking longer because of her towering heels. 'I'm surprised they let us in. Everyone seems to be under a different dresscode.'

'I know what you mean.' She looked nervous and she jumped as Nate's arm slipped around her waist. He kissed her cheek and she relaxed. 'Don't scare me like that.'

'Sorry gorgeous.' He gave her a lopsided smile. 'I'll grab a beer and I'll be right over.'

'I'm surprised they're allowing underage drinking.' I commented, looking around the room. 'When it's perfectly clear that the band are underage. And it's obvious I am too.'

'Only by a year.' Lucy smiled. 'Not even that now. We just won't drink much incase the press are still outside after.'

 _She's Kinda Hot_ blared out of the speakers and Zed and Nate groaned as they appeared beside us, cringing at their song.

'Can't they play some music that isn't us?' Nate frowned and Zack laughed as he passed.

'I'll pass it on to Grimmy.' Zack commented and he was gone.

'Nick Grimshaw?' I blinked and looked over at the DJ. Sure enough, it _was_ Nick Grimshaw.

'You look pretty.' Zed said in my ear, his body close to mine so that I could hear him. I blushed at the compliment, not sure what else to say. 'I'm glad you came.'

'Me too.' I replied, although the Ben and Jerrys in my freezer back at the apartment was still calling me. The song changed and I looked over at our friends to see them dancing together, Lucy's arms draped around Nate's neck and his hands on her waist as she laughed and smiled. I glanced away and saw that Zed was watching me with an expression I couldn't read. 'What?'

'Nothing.' He gave a small smile and took a swig of his beer. 'So do you think I pulled the piano off?'

I laughed and nodded. 'Not a single mistake. Nice work.'

'Thanks. I'm not quite to your standard, though.'

'I've been playing piano a lot longer.' I reminded him as I finished my champagne. I put it on the table beside us. 'I think everyone liked it though. The girls next to me were crying.'

'I saw.' He winced. 'Why do girls do that? We're just normal people.'

'Normal people who are now famous and have been number one three times.' I reminded him. 'They were arguing over who was going to marry them.'

He winced again. 'Well, no offence to them but it won't be one of them.'

'We're seventeen. We don't even need to think about that yet.' I said, running a hand through my hair.

'True.' He nodded. 'But hey, if you meet the right person then why wait, right?' He took a swig of his beer and looked away from me, sadly.

'Are you okay?'

'Sure.' He turned back to face me but the smile on his face was fake. I'd used enough fake smiles in my lifetime to recognise one.

The song changed and I beamed. 'I _love_ this song!'

 _'If you want it, take it_

 _I should've said it before_

 _Tried to hide it, fake it_

 _I can't pretend anymore.'_

Lucy appeared, grabbing me and pulling me to the dancefloor before I could stop her and we sang as we danced together, a song about breaking free.

But I didn't feel free. Lucy slept almost straight away when we got back about 2am, but I found myself sat on my laptop, flicking through pictures from my time in Norway. I sighed and changed my profile picture on Facebook, one from my photoshoot from my birthday. I still hadn't uploaded the pictures from my party, so I did so quickly. Then I clicked on my relationship status and, just like that, it was official.

Sky Bright is Single.


	33. You can't break a broken heart

As Lucy and I predicted, we were in the papers the following day, under similar headlines to ' _Princess spends Seven Minutes in Heaven'_ and other various headings that made me cringe. They didn't accuse me of anything, though. They said simply that I'd attended the concert with my friend Lucy, who was the girlfriend of Nate from the band. Although there was speculation that, after my Instagram post (thanks Lucy), Seb and I had broken up. Those papers were right of course.

'What happened?!' Tina cried out when Lucy and I returned to the dorm late that Sunday evening. Curfew was approaching quickly but that didn't bother us in the slightest.

'He found someone else.' Lucy wrinkled her nose, filling in the blanks, as I continued to unpack my suitcase. My friend reached up and grabbed the photo of Seb and I from my noticeboard and pulled it down, tucking it away with the other belongings I had of his in the room. I gave her a grateful smile as I hung up the last of my clothes in my wardrobe.

'What?!' Tina and Zoe gasped in unison. Tina reached out and squeezed my shoulder as she added, 'what a douchebag.'

'It happens.' I replied with a sigh.

'But it shouldn't.' Zoe frowned. 'He seemed like such a nice guy.'

'He was, which is probably why he wasn't right for me.' I swallowed as my eyes watered. 'It was too perfect. _He_ was too perfect.'

My friends were silent for a moment as I closed my empty suitcase and slid it under my bed. I glanced up to see them all looking at me, concerned expressions on their faces.

'So what's everyone choosing for P.E this half-term?' I asked. Every year, the final P.E module was always self-chosen, but you had to apply quick because there were only limited places. You could choose from kayaking, horse-riding, rock-climbing, street dance, rugby, contemporary dance or water polo. I already knew that horse-riding was going to be my option. I wasn't sporty at all, but I was pretty good at riding and I'd actually enjoy it.

'Horse-riding alongside you.' Lucy smiled at me.

'Street dance.' Tina replied. 'Did you decide yet Zo?'

'I'm going to do contemporary dance.' She smiled. 'It's far more my thing.'

Sign-up started from 7am the next day and we handed our forms in, with our 1st, 2nd and 3rd choices on them, as soon as the shutter opened before heading to breakfast. It felt weird being back in my school uniform after spending so many days wearing jeans or leggings and baggy tops. But now I was back wearing my plaid skirt, a summer blouse, a tie and over-the-knee-socks with my black ballet pumps, as it was too warm to be wearing tights. I brushed down my skirt, aware that perhaps I had grown because it was a tiny bit shorter than it had been previously. I grabbed a tray and grabbed some orange juice, a teapot of tea for our table and some cereal, before returning to the table I always shared with my friends.

'Sky, you're back!' Nelson said, joyfully as he sat down opposite me. 'How's it going?'

'Alright thanks.' I smiled back at him as I poured myself a cup of tea. 'How are you?'

'Good.' He smiled. 'Six more weeks until summer vay-cay!'

Tina cringed. 'Did you just say vay-cay?'

'He did.' Yves confirmed, joining us at our table. He smiled across at me. 'You look well, Sky.'

'Thanks.' I replied. I sipped my orange juice and tensed when I saw Zed approaching us. 'So six weeks left until you finish school Yves, huh?' I said, trying to stop my heart from doing the fluttery thing it often did when I saw Zed.

'Yeah and then off to Oxford for college.' He smiled, proudly. I wasn't surprised he'd got into Oxford. Zed often referred to Yves, the second-youngest Benedict brother, as a nerd and I knew he was bright. He was top in his year group at our school and was in all the top Core Subject groups, which weren't mixed year classes like the foundation subjects.

'You'll be wearing a robe like Harry Potter.' Nate chuckled from beside Lucy as he spread butter across his third slice of toast.

'Well he does look like him.' Zed said, sitting down across from me. He gave me a friendly smile, one that made his eyes twinkle, as if saying hello. 'Welcome back, Princess.'

'Thanks.' I wondered if he'd seen my change in relationship status, as I'd hidden it to stop the sympathetic comments, and if so, what he thought. I swatted myself mentally for caring what Zed Benedict thought. I scooped some cereal onto my spoon and ate it, knowing I would have preferred some more of Lucy's pancakes. Or the bacon sandwiches we'd cooked the previous morning. Or even the fresh pastries brought to me daily in the palace from the local French bakers, the ones given to me with a side of fruit. Eating soggy cornflakes wasn't the same.

Being back at school was a shock to the system, that was for sure, and it was embarassing when every teacher welcomed me back publicly, praising me for my excellent assignments that had put me in the top 3 in the class. The last class finished and I felt thankful as I picked up my satchel, planning on going to the library.

'Hey, Sky, wait up!' Zed's voice slowed me down and I turned my head as he appeared beside me, his tie loose and his shirt untucked. 'Good first day?' He asked, running his hand through his hair.

'Yeah, it was alright.' I shrugged. 'Just a bit embarassing getting told over and over that you're in the top three in the class.' I wrinkled my nose.

'All the hard work pays off.' He smiled as we reached the front of the buildings. 'Fancy grabbing some food or something?'

I squinted and spotted my Mini Cooper on the gravel and Marcus stood beside it, his arms folded and he leaned against my car. He waved and I sighed. 'Actually, it looks like I have plans.'

Zed looked over at Marcus and his smile vanished. 'What's he doing here?'

'Taking me for a driving lesson so it would seem.' I replied. I turned to Zed. 'We'll do something soon though, okay? I promise.'

The week seemed painful as it went by and with every passing day, I worried more and more about the court hearing that weekend. I hardly slept and, as a result, I caught a cold and felt really rough when Saturday rolled around. Dressed in a cream pencil dress, black cardigan and black court shoes, nude-coloured tights on my legs, I walked past the paparazzi, sunglasses on my eyes, with my guards, the family lawyer and Zed, another witness. I didn't go in straight away, but soon I was called to the witness stand and I felt sick as I walked out into the courtroom. Ezra's smile was slimey as he looked at me and I felt sick. I felt more sick when Seb's lawyer came in, supporting him whilst he was away. It all seemed a blur as I sat it the witness stand, answering questions and sharing my side of the story, and it took everything I had in me to stop myself from crying as I shared everything I remembered about my time in Capri; the information about the house, the 'party', how Ezra had wanted to marry me, how Seb and I had escaped. But not a single flicker of guilt crossed Ezra's face. Not even once.

'Your highness, can you explain what happened that morning in St Brides?' My lawyer asked and I bit my lip so hard that it bled.

'I... I was just stepping out of the house for some fresh air because I didn't feel well and then... he was there.'

'Who was there?'

Stupid question, surely? 'Ezra was there.' I sucked in a deep breath as my eyes watered. 'I was going to go with him because I was worried he would hurt my friends.'

'What did he say to you?'

'That if I screamed, he would shoot me.' My voice sounded croaky and I hated myself for it. I didn't want him to know that he haunted me. That he'd shattered my confidence. 'And then he said... he said that if I called security he'd hurt my friends.' My eyes flicked to my kidnapper and he smiled, a wicked and cruel smile. 'And then Zed... Mr Benedict... he was there and he tried to tell him to let go of me... he really tried but then... he wouldn't and then... Mr Benedict lunged towards him and that's when he got shot.'

'And your security?'

'They came out as Zed... Mr Benedict... tried to restrain him.' I looked down and bit my lip. 'I didn't want anyone to get hurt because of me.'

'Thank you, your highness.' My lawyer gave a small smile. 'You may leave the stand.'

It didn't last long after that. Zed gave his statement from St Brides and then Seb's lawyer shared his statement too, as I sat there feeling numb. And then the jury went to discuss the verdict. Of course, they decided he was guilty. And he was sentenced for life. But what was a life sentence when he could be released after 18 years for good behaviour? As I watched Ezra be dragged away, I couldn't help but think that one day he'd be back and he'd come for me.

'Are you guys coming to my birthday party Saturday?' Yves asked at school the following week and I looked at him in confusion. 'Nice one guys on not telling Sky about my party.'

'I completely forgot.' Lucy said, looking embarassed. 'But yeah, I'll be there.'

'Me too mate.' Nate nodded.

'Where do you live again?' Zed asked and Yves rolled his eyes at his brother.

'Sky?' Yves asked.

'Sure, why not.'

I spent the week either visiting the Riding Centre, catching up on my work there and celebrating the fact that I was going to be riding for my P.E module, or studying in the library and this time my friends joined me, desperate to get their work done before the weekend. The girls stayed at mine on Friday night and then on Saturday morning, my security turned up with the blacked out people carrier and we bundled into it, armed with our weekend bags and birthday presents for Yves (and two security guards).

'Have a great time and I'll see you next weekend.' Phillip had said as we'd got ready to leave. 'And let your hair down Sky.'

'I'll try.' I'd said with a small smile, playing with the french plait I'd done when I'd got dressed that morning.

'Good, because you're seventeen. You should be having fun.'

My brother's words echoed in my mind on the hour and a half journey to Chelmsford, where the Benedicts were currently living. I knew they'd moved around a lot, I'd heard that from Yves and Zed, but this seemed like the more permanent home they were after. We pulled up at the house and onto the large driveway, where three other cars (all of which weren't cheap) were already parked. The house was like the others on the street; a red brick property with three floors and white pillars outlining the door. The car was parked and we climbed out carefully, with help from my security guards. Then I followed Lucy, who knew the Benedicts the best, up to the door, my weekend bag slung over my shoulder.

'Hello girls.' Karla Benedict greeted us joyfully as she opened the door. She kissed us each on the cheek and ushered us inside, politely greeting my security team too.

'We'll keep out of the way m'aam, we're just here for protocal.' The security team said. 'We're actually staying at the hotel just up the road this evening so we'll head up there in a minute, but it's important you have our contact details incase there's any problem.'

'Of course.' Karla smiled. 'Why don't you go into the kitchen and discuss the details with my husband.' They nodded and went in the direction she pointed.

I sighed, feeling embarassed. 'I'm sorry Mrs Benedict.'

'It's not a problem at all, Sky.' She reassured me. 'We all want you safe. And remember to call me Karla, _please.'_

I gave a shy smile, wishing the redness in my cheeks would disappear. 'Okay.'

'Now girls, Yves and Zed have gone to pick up some food and drink for later. I'll get Saul to put the kettle on and I can show you your rooms?' The door turned in the lock and Karla glanced over my shoulder, smiling. I stepped out of the way as she went to greet a guy that looked like an older version of Yves and Zed. Tina licked her lip beside me and I elbowed her in the ribcage before anyone could see. 'Xav, it's great to see you!' Karla kissed her son on the cheek. 'Yves will be pleased!'

'I wasn't going to miss a game of Laser Tag, was I?' He grinned and she laughed. His eyes met mine and he looked at me in recognition.

'Xavier, these are Yves and Zed's friends from school. Tina, Zoe, Lucy and Sky.' Karla introduced us and Xav nodded in greeting.

'I've heard a lot about you.' He said. 'More so about Sky but that's another story.'

Lucy laughed beside me and Karla widened her eyes, swatting her son in warning as I swallowed, feeling my cheeks blushing. 'Come on girls, I'll show you to your rooms.'

We were staying in two of the back guest rooms, each a twin room with a lovely view of the garden. Tina and Zoe, inseperable as ever, bagsied the room with the ensuite so Lucy and I opted for the other, placing down our bags and belongings before heading downstairs to join Karla, Saul and Xav for tea. We sat in the conservatory, which overlooked the garden, the garden that looked lovely in the sunlight that didn't often make an appearance in early June. It was getting noticeably warmer and the forecasters were predicting a heatwave the following week, which wasn't ideal when there were exams going on at school over the next couple of weeks.

'So how are you enjoying being back at school, Sky?' Saul Benedict asked as he poured himself another tea after offering each of us another one.

'It's okay.' I said, feeling nervous for some weird reason. I could talk to primeministers and Royalty from other countries but I couldn't talk to Mr and Mrs Benedict, who were some of the most down-to-earth people I'd ever met. 'It's strange getting back into routine and having to wear a uniform again.'

They smiled. 'Well not long until summer.' Karla said. 'Do you girls have any plans?'

'My family are off to the villa in Spain again.' Lucy replied. 'I think Nate's coming this time so that will be nice.' Karla nodded.

'And our families always go to Croatia together.' Zoe said, signalling to Tina. 'So we'll probably be there for a few weeks.'

'And Sky?'

'I'm not really sure.' I replied, honestly. 'It would be nice to go away but I'm not sure it's that simple.'

'Of course.' Karla gave me a sympathetic smile.

'You could always come on our family holiday to Italy, Sky. I'm sure Zed would like your company.' Xav piped up, a mischievous look on his face. I bit my lip, feeling my cheeks redden.

'Xav.' Saul scolded and then we heard Yves call out. 'Oh good, they're back. I'll get lunch started.' He stood up and looked at his son. 'Xav, you can help me in the kitchen.'

'Spoilsport.' Xav said. He winked at me and then followed his father out as I tried to stop my reddening cheeks.

'I do apologise.' Karla said to us all. 'Unfortunately having lots of boys means that they like to wind each other up.'

No one said anything, but Lucy's raised eyebrows said enough.

We had a quick lunch together, blew up some balloons, hung up some banners and streamers and then it was time to get ready for laser tag, so we headed upstairs to get changed. I took my hair out of my braid, letting it fall into wild curls and the girls and I changed into our all-black outfits, as that was the dresscode for the party. I pulled on my tight leather-look leggings and a black off-the-shoulder top and I did my make-up; smokey-eyes as I had done a few days previously. Lucy looked cute in a black crop top and high-waisted jeans and then Zoe and Tina both wore black dresses with leggings. We looked quite kick-ass and I felt a bit like Katniss Everdeen or maybe even Tris Prior.

When we got downstairs, Nate, Nelson and Zack had arrived and they were stood around, chatting to Yves, Zed and Xav in their all-black get up. Zed's eyes flicked up to meet mine as I walked down the stairs and he looked at me, his eyes boring into mine before he gave my outfit a onceover. I blushed and swallowed, pretending I was listening to Tina and Zoe's conversation.

 _You look amazing._ His voice filled my head, catching me by surprise. We didn't often talk that way anymore and when we did it felt different and kind of nice at the same time. But it also reminded me that Seb had dumped me so he could be with his soulfinder.

 _Thank you._ I bit my lip as he looked at me, his mouth tugged up at the corners. Xav looked at his brother and then over at me and he gave a wicked smile. He wasn't stupid. I breaked eye contact and flicked my hair back off my bare shoulder, trying to suss out what my friends were talking about.

'Shall we go?' Yves spoke up, suddenly and I tried not to make my sigh of relief obvious.

'Yes.' Xav nodded. 'Lets.'

When we got to the venue, we were split into two teams of five. I was put on a team with Lucy, Yves, Nelson and, surprisingly, Zed, and we were given our equipment and sent off to the 'green team' entrance door. We stood in the waiting room, our vests on and our guns at the ready and Yves looked at us with a serious expression as he adjusted his glasses.

'We need to all split up.' He told us. 'Each take a different route in there and if you can, don't leave your back exposed.'

'What about if we stuck together? And had each other's backs?' Zed suggested.

'And then we all lose lives together. We need to be quiet and we need to be sneaky!'

'I agree with Yves.' Lucy piped up. 'On Call of Duty it's always better to spread out.' I looked at her in surprise and she smiled. 'What? It's kind of a de-stresser.'

'Sky, you take the furthest left, then Zed, then Nelson, then Lucy and then me, right? It's like a maze in there and there's plenty of places to hide.' Yves said and then the countdown started. 'Ready team?'

'I guess so.' I replied.

The door started opening, moving upwards and we stood in formation ready. Yves crouched and moved out of the door first as we split off in our directions. I walked slowly and carefully, finding a part of the wall to hide behind. Laser sounds came out and I heard someone swear. Someone had already been caught. I spotted a red creeping in front of me and I fired at them, ducking when they fired back. I held my breath and moved around the wall, jumping when I crashed into someone. I relaxed when I saw it was Zed stood behind me.

'Jumpy, are we?' He whispered, teasing me.

'I thought you were a red.' I replied, honestly.

'Nah you're safe.' His breath tickled my ear and sent goosebumps across my arms. 'Have you hit anyone?'

'I think so but I couldn't be sure.'

'Shit!' Zed cursed, reaching out and firing around the corner. A red appeared, running around it and I ran, hiding myself inside the maze.

'Got you.' Xav grinned, shooting me and I groaned, trying to shoot him back before he disappeared round the corner. 'Shouldn't hang out with my brother, he's bad news!' He called.

'Hey!' Zed called from somewhere and I laughed, creeping forwards.

I found the stairs leading to a balcony and I crept up in, ducking in the hope that no one could see me. I crouched as I moved across the floor and I perched where I could see everyone. Sure enough, there were some reds running around and I watched as a red hit a green that I was sure was Lucy, but I wasn't sure until I realised she was kissing our opponents. Rolling my eyes, I fired at Nate and he gasped, turning around and looking, but he couldn't see me.

The game lasted twenty minutes and the lights came on at the end of it and we headed out into the waiting area, where the scores rolled in. Greens had won and, somehow, I'd scored the highest. Probably because I had hidden on the balcony.

'Okay next round is Capture the Flag.' Yves told us. 'So we'll switch up the teams.'

'Girls versus boys?' Xav suggested.

'There's only four girls.'

'But they have Sky and she's kick-ass!' Zed smiled and I couldn't help but smile back, although my smile was kind of sly.

'Yves, you go on the girl's team. Even it up. You can be a girl sometimes anyway.' Xav said and Yves frowned.

'Erm, thanks?' He said. 'I won't complain though, Sky's a good shooter. Could come in handy.'

'Forgive me for saying this, but how do we play?' Tina asked, tightening her ponytail.

We had to capture the enemy's flag without being shot and everytime you were shot, your vest lit up and you had to go back to the start. Thankfully, my team had won once again, mainly because I'd filled them in on my sneaking tactics and we'd had someone stationned up on the balcony, firing at any enemies that passed.

'Good game guys.' Yves said as we all shook hands. 'Now let's go back, get some food and the real fun can begin.'

The _real fun_ was the house party Yves had planned with permission from his parents; after all, it was his eighteenth so it was expected to be big. The party was laid out in the conservatory and a gazebo in the garden, which was attached to the main house. Karla had slaved away cooking enough food for the party. The house smelt great when we got back and we all headed up to our rooms to get changed, with only an hour until the party.

'I don't know what to wear.' I frowned, pulling out the two outfits I'd packed. There was a sequin top to go with the leggings I was wearing or a dress.

'The dress.' My friends all voted and I sighed.

'Isn't it a little short?' Buying it the previous weekend had been a risk and hadn't been like me at all. Princess Sky always wore dresses that were knee-length or longer. This one fell mid-thigh.

'It's hot.' Lucy smiled.

'Completely.' Tina nodded in agreement. She put a belt around the waist of her black maxi-dress, which had a slit up the thigh. She looked great. In fact, all my friends did. Lucy wore a black mini dress with lace detailing around the waist, her legs looking longer because of her heels, and Zoe wore aztec patterned shorts and a top with sparkly detailing around the bust.

'Wear the dress.' Zoe pushed. 'It's really nice.' Music started downstairs and it was clear the party was starting. I looked at my reflection; my make-up was en-pointe, as was my hair, wild, and curly and loose.

'Okay I'll wear the dress.' I disappeared into the bathroom, changing out of my tight leggings and baggy top into the figure-hugging dress. It was a cream strapless dress with black lace over the top and covered my bum, but still made me nervous. I was glad I'd opted for wearing hold in knickers; I wasn't fat, but they made me feel better in a tight dress. I slipped out of the bathroom and almost walked into Karla.

'You look lovely Sky.' She said with a warm smile.

'Thank you.' I said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

'It's a shame your Prince couldn't be here.'

I glanced down to the floor, awkwardly. 'Actually, we broke up.'

'I'm sorry to hear that.' She said, her voice sympathetic.

I looked back up at her. 'Things happen and things change.' I said with a small smile. She nodded, returning the smile and then she disappeared down the corridor. I returned to my friends and they squealed, clapping their hands together.

'Definitely smokin'!' Zoe grinned as she passed me my heels. I slipped them on carefully and fastened the strap.

'Does it really look okay?' I asked, self-consciously.

'I think maybe you need to ask Zed.' Tina smirked and Lucy high-fived her.

'Thanks guys.' I frowned.

'Oh come on, we're teasing. Nothing has to happen but he's definitely a self-esteem booster for you, right? You're single. Talk to cute guys, dance with them and have fun.' I faked a smile and Tina tutted. 'And show everyone that lovely real smile.' She grabbed my phone. 'Now let's get some pictures before we go downstairs.'

I felt nervous as we walked downstairs and my heart was thudding against my chest as I held my dress down, hoping it wasn't going to rise up. Lucy and I followed Tina and Zoe, who led the way confidently, chatting and singing when they recognised the song that was playing. Lucy spotted Nate and she hurried over, pressing her lips to his. I sighed and bit my lip before grabbing a drink from the side. It wasn't alcoholic.

 _'This hit_

 _That ice cold_

 _Michelle Pfeiffer_

 _That white gold.'_

Lucy appeared in front of me again, grabbing my hand and pulling me into the crowded conservatory.

 _'Stylin', while in_

 _Livin' it up in the city_

 _Got Chucks on with Saint Laurent_

 _Got kiss myself I'm so pretty.'_

We danced together and sang the chorus loudly as Tina and Zoe appeared beside us and then Nelson joined us too with Nate and I was surprised they were pretty good dancers. We cheered and clapped them as they moved and they both did this weird dance with their feet that looked pretty cool.

 _'I'm too hot_

 _Called a police and a fireman_

 _I'm too hot_

 _Make a dragon wanna retire man.'_ I sang and I turned, bumping straight into Zed's chest. I glanced up at him, shyly, and gave him a small smile as his eyes burned into mine.

'You look... wow... incredible.' He said into my ear and I blushed as his breath tickled me, sending goosebumps across my body.

'Not so bad yourself.' I said with a smile, looking at his black skinny jeans and rolled-up sleeve plaid shirt. He gave me a lopsided smile as a girl in a tinier dress came over to us.

'Daisy, hey.' He greeted her with a hug and she kissed his cheek. My stomach churned as I turned back to my friends. Why did it bother me what Zed was doing?

'I come baring booze!' Yves appeared with a tray of bottles of beer and we each grabbed one. 'Wow guys, desperate much?'

'Your mum's punch is nice and all but I really needed a beer.' Nate laughed and he took a swig, as did I. I was going to need one. Or maybe more to get through the party.

'She looks like a slut.' Zoe said into my ear and I giggled, giving my friend a smile and I mouthed a 'thank you' her way.

 _'It's late in the evening_

 _Glass on the side_

 _I've been sat with you_

 _For most of the night_

 _Ignoring everybody here_

 _We wish they would disappear_

 _So maybe we could get down now_

 _I don't wanna know_

 _If you're getting ahead of the program_

 _I want you to be mine, lady_

 _To hold your body close_

 _Take another step into the no-man's land_

 _For the longest time lady.'_ My friends cheered and my rapping and I took a mock bow, laughing. This was one beer in. And apparently it meant I was confident enough to rap along to a bit of Ed Sheeran. The next verse came up and I rapped it two, but this time Nelson tried to join in. He stumbled and I booed him and we all laughed as Zed came back over, having disappeared for half an hour. Probably with the pretty brunette, Daisy, who definitely had bigger boobs than me. I frowned at myself. What was wrong with me? Why was I so jealous?

Soon, the music started to get a bit more dancey and it got to the point where Tina was dancing with Zack (which really shocked me), Zoe with Nelson (didn't shock me) and Lucy was dancing with Nate. Yves and I stood side-by-side, dancing awkwardly as _Nobody to love_ ironically blared through the speakers.

'We're definitely the gooseberries right now.' I said to him and he nodded in agreement.

'Mum said about you and Sebastien. I'm sorry, Sky.' He looked sympathetic.

'Thanks.' I gave him a small smile. 'I guess this song a bit ironic right now, huh?'

'I think it is.' He nodded in agreement as Xav appeared, a beer in his hand.

'Nice party bro!' Xav said. He clinked his beer bottle against mine and I finished my drink, putting the empty bottle on the window sill. 'Woah, Sky's a party animal!' I smiled, shyly, hoping that now I'd had two beers my confidence might sort itself out. 'I'm out of here, that girl's totally looking at me.'

Yves rolled his eyes as he walked off. 'Do you want another drink?' He asked, grabbing my empty bottle. 'Because I'm going to grab one.'

'I'm okay.' I replied and he paused, looking at the dancing couples. I gave him a nod and he gave me a sympathetic smile before heading back off through the crowd. I leaned against the window sill and sighed, watching the dancers all having a great time.

'That guy keeps looking at you.' Zed's voice made me jump as he appeared beside me. He nodded across the room, where a tall, slim brunette guy was watching me. His lips curled up into a smile when he realised I was looking at him and I looked down at my feet, blushing. 'So why are you here by yourself?'

'Because everyone else had a dance partner.' I signalled to where our friends are.

'Zack and Tina? Wow.' He looked just as surprised as I was. 'I thought it was always going to be Nelson and Tina.'

'Me too.' I said and I laughed. 'Although I think Nelson is happy with any female attention he's getting.'

'I think you're right.'

'You're the same.' I teased and he frowned.

'I hope you don't really think that.' He looked hurt.

'Sorry. It's just with Savannah and then Daisy and...'

'And all the papers.' He paused. 'Yeah they make things look pretty bad, don't they? But I think we established that Savannah was a huge mistake and Daisy... well Xav has fancied Daisy for like five years. She's a family friend.' My mouth formed an 'o' shape and he gave a small smile. 'It's okay, lots of people think I'm a player. I guess I was in the past, maybe, but I'm not like that now.' His eyes softened. 'I'd rather have one incredible girl in my life then lots of girls who are average.' He squeezed my knee. 'So why do you look so sad?'

'I'm not.'

'Liar.'

The song changed and I laughed as Justin Bieber's _Sorry_ started playing. 'Well this is somewhat ironic.' I commented. The whole night seemed to just be _filled_ with irony.

'It is.' Zed stood up and held out his hand. 'And it would be rude not to dance to it, wouldn't it?'

 _'You gotta go and get angry at all of my honesty_

 _You know I try but I don't do too well with apologies.'_

I hesitated but then took his hand, letting him lead me through the crowd.

 _'I hope I don't run out of time. Could someone call a referee?_

 _'Cause I just need one more shot at forgiveness.'_

He placed his arms on my hips and I placed mine on his shoulders, my heart hammering against my chest with nerves but also excitement.

 _'I know you know that I made those mistakes maybe once or twice_

 _And by once or twice I mean maybe a couple of hundred times.'_

His eyes looked into mine as we danced, my hips moving in time to the music.

 _'So let me, oh, let me redeem, oh, redeem, oh, myself tonight_

 _'Cause I just need one more shot, second chances.'_

And then he was pulling me in closer, singing me the lyrics like it was our own private concert.

 _'Is it too late now to say sorry?_

 _'Cause I'm missing more than just your body, oh_

 _Is it too late now to say sorry?_

 _Yeah, I know-oh-oh, that I let you down_

 _Is it too late to say I'm sorry now?'_

With every word my knees were getting weaker and weaker and by the end of the song, our bodies were pressed together and my arms were looped around his neck, trying to keep myself up. Zed's eyes hadn't left mine as he'd sang, his husky voice being carried over Bieber's. And then the song ended and we both stopped moving. And then, Zed was crouching down, moving his face towards mine. I panicked. And I ran. I didn't know where to go so I fled out through the gazebo and into the garden.

'Are you okay, your highness?' My security guards asked as they followed me outside.

'I'm fine.' I replied, my voice cracking. But they didn't question it. It wasn't in their job description. Instead, they moved away, giving me space by standing at opposite ends of the garden. I sank down into a bench and fought back the tears that were building up in my eyes.

'I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that.' Zed's voice was pained as he appeared in front of me, running a hand through his dark hair. 'I know you're with Sebastien.'

'No.' I whispered, my eyes meeting his.

'No?' He looked confused and he looked awkward too.

'We broke up.' I looked at my finger nails, my perfect french manicure, as he sank into the bench beside me.

'When?'

'Last week.' I swallowed, the emotions rising. Why did being a teenage girl have to be so emotional?

'You didn't tell me.' His voice sounded hurt but I didn't look at him.

'It's kinda embarassing really. He met someone else.'

'Sky, I'm sorry. He seemed so...'

'Perfect.' I looked up to meet his eyes. 'But too perfect. He met his soulfinder.'

He looked surprised and then his eyes softened. 'Want me to kick his ass?'

'You'll have to get in line. I think my brother wants first dibs.' A tear rolled down my cheek and Zed's hand moved out to catch it. He caressed my damp cheek gently and my breath caught in my throat.

'He's not worth your tears.' He told me. 'No guy is worth your tears.'

I looked down and moved away from his hand. 'You made me cry, you know? When you called and broke things off because of Savannah.'

He didn't say anything for a moment. He was quiet. Completely silent. The song changed inside to _Shake if Off_ by Taylor Swift and the party guests cheered. 'And it was the biggest mistake I ever made. I should never have let you go.' I looked up at him and this time his eyes looked teary, full of emotion. It took me by surprise. 'Being without you ripped me to shreds.' His voice was hoarse and I knew that he meant it.

'So why do it?'

'Because I didn't want to keep things a secret. I wanted a girlfriend I could go for walks with, a girlfriend I could take out for dinner and then... and then Sebastien came on the scene and I suppose I got jealous because he could do everything for you that I couldn't and he was a Prince, a future King, someone your father actually approved of.'

'I didn't care that Sebastien was a Prince or a future King. I liked him because he kept me safe and... well at some point I suppose he cared about me.' I bit my lip as another tear fell. 'And now... and now I'm back in the place that _you_ put me in Zed. The place where I can't trust anybody and I feel weak and unattractive and unworthy of love.'

He flinched, his face hurt. 'I'm sorry for doing that to you. I'll never forgive myself.'

'I've never been in love before, but I guess it must be horrible. Because being in love makes you vulnerable. It opens up your chest and your heart and it means that someone can get inside and break it into a thousand pieces. What's worth that?' I stood up, feeling upset and feeling angry. 'I'm scared Zed. Not of love, but of not being loved back. And you know what's worse? I'm scared of you. Hurting me again. You might have saved my life, Zed, but you broke it too.'

'


	34. I remember it all too well

_**AN: So I think I've decided that after re-reading Finding Sky this week, I picture her more like AnnaSophia Robb. Zed I think maybe more like Jeremy Irvine in my head when I read it. What do you all think? Who would be in your casting if they made it into a movie?**_

We didn't stay long the following day. We had breakfast with Karla, Saul and Yves, whilst Zed hid wherever he was, and then we left. Zoe and Tina had asked what was wrong, they'd tried to find out, but I just didn't know what to tell them. They didn't know that Zed and I had history. So I just kept quiet as we were driven back to school and when we got there, I headed straight to the library.

'Sky, what happened?' Lucy asked when I returned to the room late that evening, having skipped dinner. I put down my books carefully and sank onto my bed. And then I poured out everything as my friend held me, soothing me as I told her all about Zed and what had happened at the party.

'Was I out of order?' I asked, my voice hoarse, when I finished the story.

'Not at all.' She told me, smoothing my hair. 'You were honest and he did hurt you.' Her phone buzzed and she glanced at it before looking back at me.

'You're supposed to meet Nate, aren't you?'

'He can wait til tomorrow.' She gave me a small smile but I shook my head.

'No, go. I don't want to ruin your evening. Besides, I think being by myself might do me some good.'

Her eyes flicked to the window and then back at me as she fought between what to do. 'Are you sure?'

I gave her a weak smile. 'Of course. Besides, I need to catch up on _Reign_ and I think seeing Francis and Bash will lift my spirits.'

'Okay.' She gave me a quick hug and then snuck out, climbing out of the window as I'd done many times before. I tucked my legs into my duvet and pulled it up, over myself, shielding myself as I cried.

 _ **Zed.**_

Sky's words just seemed to circle around and around my head. She was scared of me. _You might have saved my life, Zed, but you broke it too._ It was haunting and it was heartbreaking. The thought of her being afraid of me filled me with pain. I never wanted that, I loved her. I blinked, sitting up in bed as the realisation dawned on me. 'I love her.'

Nate looked at me in surprise as Lucy climbed through our window. He helped her down from the ledge and eyeballed me. 'What did you just say?'

'I love her.' I repeated. 'I love Sky.'

'Oh thank god.' Nate sighed. 'It's taken you long enough to realise it.' Lucy gave me a small smile.

'How bad have I messed up?' I asked her.

'I'm not sure you want to hear the answer.' She replied and I winced. 'She's distraught and I think she actually feels guilty for what she said.'

'She shouldn't. She was right.' I frowned and ran a hand through my hair. I felt sick. And angry with myself. 'I'm such an idiot.'

'I'm sorry but I have to agree there.' Lucy said and Nate laughed. 'So what are you going to do?'

I looked up at my roommate's girlfriend. 'What do you mean?'

'I mean, what are you going to do to win over Sky?' She gave me a sly smile and Nate shrugged from beside her.

'You think I can win her over?'

'I don't know, she's pretty stubborn, but if you give up these easily then she'll never know you love her, right?'

 _ **Sky.**_

I didn't sleep well that night and at some point Lucy had shaken me awake to tell me I was talking in my sleep. About the forest and being followed. It had made me shudder. I'd not even remembered the dream but it was clear what it was about. When I got back to the dorm room after dinner and after a long library study session, a single rose and a note were waiting for me. Lucy raised her eyebrows in surprise as I bent down to retrieve them, taking them into our room.

'Who's it from?' She asked and I simply shrugged. I didn't recognise the handwriting. I carefully opened the note and sat down on my bed as I read it.

 _Sky,_

 _Everything you said was right. I broke your heart and I'm so sorry for that, but you must know that I saved you that morning because you mean a lot to me. You're my whole world Sky and I don't want to live in a world where you don't care about me. I hoped we were finally getting ourselves back on track. We were having fun and talking like old friends. Please don't throw that all away, Sky. You have no idea how much you mean to me. I know you'll probably throw this away but just know I'm not giving up._

 _Zed._

I frowned, screwing up the paper and throwing it in the bin. I threw the rose at my roommate. 'You have it.'

'Who's it from?'

'Zed.'

She looked thoughtful for a moment and picked up her guitar, strumming the chords to a familiar Taylor Swift song.

'Another Youtube cover?' I asked. She'd taken to learning a new cover a week and then uploading them to Youtube. She'd got a lot of views and likes so far, but I knew she was worried because she thought it was mainly because of her dad tweeting her videos.

She stopped strumming and paused. 'I wish you'd do a cover with me.'

'I'm not sure I'm good enough.'

She tutted. 'Sky you're _better_ than me. And your voice is incredible. Let people here it.' I hummed the tune she'd been playing and she sighed. 'Just one video? Please? And then I'll quit bugging you. Plus, this song kinda relates to you right now. It would be quite kick-ass.'

I sighed. 'One song and you'll stop harassing me?'

'Sure.' She smiled. 'Now come here and let's sort out some harmonies.'

We headed to the music room the following day, the one where she always recorded her Youtube videos with help from Nelson, who had a decent video camera and was good at the editing side of things. He glanced at me surprise when I walked in alongside Lucy and he grabbed me an extra stool and a microphone when I explained that Lucy had talked me into it.

'She's good at that.' He laughed. 'I'm still waiting for payment for this.'

'You like the experience and the Youtube mention in the credits.' She tutted and he shot her a familiar-Nelson playful smile.

Nelson tapped my microphone and then Lucy's as I sat down. 'So how's this going to work ladies?'

'We've got the arrangement perfect.' Lucy beamed. 'I guess if I introduce Sky and then we go straight into it maybe? And if it doesn't work out then we'll do another take.'

'Okay.' Nelson nodded and fiddled with his camera, moving it back a little. He looked through the lens and smiled. 'Well done for not wearing stripes either of you.'

'Thin stripes make it look like you have a moving t-shirt.' Lucy explained. 'Like you've got millions of ants crawling over you.'

'Nice.' I wrinkled my nose and smoothed down my curly hair and pulled up the front of my pale pink lace dress, making sure cleavage wasn't on show. I'd paired it with some converse and a denim shirt, going for cool but casual.

'Okay guys, we're rolling.' Nelson announced and I sat up straighter, knowing to do so from singing lessons. It was important to expand your diaphragm.

'Hi everyone, welcome back to my channel and if you're new then thanks for joining us! I'm going to cover _All too Well_ by Taylor Swift today,' she adjusted her guitar, 'but I called in a little favour with my best friend Sky so please listen and let me know what you think.' She looked nervous to me, but probably not to people that didn't know her. I knew her well enough to know that the smile wasn't there and I could see the gentle shake of her hands. She counted herself in and started to play the opening chords and then she started to sing, _'I walked through the door with you, the air was cold,_

 _But something 'bout it felt like home somehow._

 _And I left my scarf there at your sister's house,_

 _And you've still got it in your drawer even now._

 _Oh, your sweet disposition and my wide-eyed gaze._

 _We're singing in the car, getting lost Upstate._

 _Autumn leaves falling down like pieces into place,_

 _And I can picture it after all these days._

 _And I know it's long gone,_

 _And that magic's not here no more,_

 _And I might be okay,_

 _But I'm not fine at all.'_

I took a deep breath as I joined her for the chorus, singing the harmonies we'd rehearsed the previous night and earlier on in the day, _''Cause there we are again on that little town street._

 _You almost ran the red 'cause you were looking over at me._

 _Wind in my hair, I was there, I remember it all too well.'_

She smiled over at me, reassuringly, as I started to sing my part. _'Photo album on the counter, your cheeks were turning red._

 _You used to be a little kid with glasses in a twin sized bed_

 _And your mother's telling stories about you on a tee ball team_

 _You taught me 'bout your past, thinking your future was me._

 _And I know it's long gone_

 _And there was nothing else I could do_

 _And I forget about you long enough_

 _To forget why I needed to...'_

We sang the chorus again, our harmonies perfect, and I knew Lucy had relaxed but I was nervous still, my heart hammering against my chest and the butterflies in my stomach fluttering around. _''Cause there we are again in the middle of the night._

 _We're dancing around the kitchen in the refrigerator light_

 _Down the stairs, I was there, I remember it all too well, yeah.'_

And then it was my part again, the dramatic part, and I put every single bit of emotion I'd tried to hide into it, singing it well and truly from the heart. _'Well, maybe we got lost in translation, maybe I asked for too much,_

 _But maybe this thing was a masterpiece 'til you tore it all up._

 _Running scared, I was there, I remember it all too well._

 _Hey, you call me up again just to break me like a promise._

 _So casually cruel in the name of being honest._

 _I'm a crumpled up piece of paper lying here_

 _'Cause I remember it all, all, all... too well.'_

I relaxed a little, the harder bit over and I was relieved that it was Lucy's solo again, the pressure off of me. _'Time won't fly, it's like I'm paralyzed by it_

 _I'd like to be my old self again, but I'm still trying to find it_

 _After plaid shirt days and nights when you made me your own_

 _Now you mail back my things and I walk home alone_

 _But you keep my old scarf from that very first week_

 _'Cause it reminds you of innocence and it smells like me_

 _You can't get rid of it 'cause you remember it all too well, yeah.'_

Although Lucy took the lead for the end of the song, I joined her for the rehearsed harmonies, singing at a different pitch as she continued to play on her guitar. _''Cause there we are again, when I loved you so_

 _Back before you lost the one real thing you've ever known_

 _It was rare, I was there, I remember it all too well_

 _Wind in my hair, you were there, you remember it all_

 _Down the stairs, you were there, you remember it all_

 _It was rare, I was there, I remember it all too well.'_

We both smiled, having successfully completed the song, and Nelson gave a thumbs up as Lucy relaxed her arms. 'Thank you all for listening. Subscribe if you like and please leave a comment below with any other requests.' Nelson pressed the off button on his camera and applauded.

'Nice work ladies, that was _awesome!'_ He beamed and we both blushed at the compliment. 'Come here, let's watch it back and then I'll get it edited and uploaded for tonight.'

It made headlines in gossip papers the next day and it was all over the internet; _Emotional Song by Princess. Princess sings of heartbreak as Prince spotted with new girl._ It was true. Someone had captured photos of Seb and the girl I assumed to be Angelika, the beautiful Norwegian with white blonde hair, long legs and bigger boobs. She looked older, but then to be his soulfinder I knew she had to be very close in age to him. And, despite Phillip's best efforts to cheer me up, and Lolly's too, she was beautiful. She looked like a model, even in jeans and a hoodie. Every article confirmed that my song was heartfelt and incredible with the emotion I'd put in. They were right, though, I was pouring out my heart and that much was true, even when you watched the clip posted on my Instagram, which seemed to help with Lucy's likes and number of subscribers.

I read through the comments of the video, unable to help myself, when I got in from volunteering at the Riding Centre.

 _What?! Skeb is over? I loved Skeb!_

 _How could he dump her, she's so pretty!_

 _Her voice is amazing and that performance almost made me cry!_

 _I hate this girl. She can do everything._

 _OMG her outfit it amazing._

I tried to ignore the negative comments, but they still hurt. They still ached. There was a knock at the door and Lucy jumped up, answering it. She picked up something off of the floor and turned around to face me, a huge bouquet of flowers in her hand. I squinted as I looked at them. What were they? Purple Iris' with white Gardenias and some Jasmine I realised as she got closer. 'They're nice.' I commented with a smile, closing my laptop.

'They are and they're for you.' She passed them over to me and I recognised the handwriting this time.

'Zed.' I told her.

'So? Read what he has to say.' She sat down on her bed and smiled across at me, a smile that suggested she wasn't quite as surprised as I was.

I carefully opened the envelope and unfolded the piece of paper.

 _I can't promise you_

 _that dark clouds_

 _will never hover_

 _over our lives_

 _or that the future_

 _will bring us many rainbows._

 _I can't promise you_

 _that tomorrow_

 _will be perfect_

 _or that life will be easy._

 _I can promise you_

 _my everlasting devotion,_

 _my loyalty,_

 _my respect,_

 _and my unconditional_

 _love for a lifetime._

 _I can promise that_

 _I'll always_

 _be there for you,_

 _to listen_

 _and to hold your hand,_

 _and I'll always do_

 _my best to make you happy,_

 _and make you feel loved._

 _The words might be from Bhal but I saw them and I thought of you. I mean every word- Zed._

I let out the breath I didn't realise I'd been holding and I swallowed, trying to get rid of the butterflies and the emotion it made me feel. Lucy glanced across at me. 'What did he say?' I simply passed her the note and she skim-read it, smiling. 'That's really cute!' She said and I frowned. 'What?'

'He borrowed someone else's words.'

'So you want him to write you his own love letter?'

'I want him to stop sending me flowers. They're beautiful but it doesn't change anything.' I grabbed the bin but she caught my hands, stopping me.

'No, Sky. Come on, they'll brighten up the room. Let's just put them in a vase! They'll make the room smell divine.'

'Fine.'

Lady Clarence turned up on Friday with Nina and Marcus and I wondered what on earth was going on. I didn't like their prescence at the best of times and I definitely didn't want them hanging around when I was planning on crashing the library to study for next week's exams. 'To what pleasure do I owe this?' I asked, hoping they didn't notice my sarcasm. Marcus' smirk told me that he had.

'We've just come to update your etiquette training.' Lady Clarence replied, smoothly. She looked at my socks and shoes, which were muddy thanks to the wet weather, and frowned. 'Need I remind you that there's a state dinner next Saturday and it's very important.'

'So I've heard.' I sighed. My father had been going on about it for months and I was dreading it. The Summer Ball seemed to have marked the start of event season and my weekends were getting booked up pretty quick. The thing I was dreading, though, was the dinner at the start of July. In Norway. Lolly was excited about seeing me and I wanted to see her too, but part of me still dreaded going somewhere that reminded me of Sebastien and then there was facing his parents again.

'It's even more important now that you're available again.' She added and I winced. Marcus frowned at his mother, sensing my discomfort. 'Which is why Marcus is with me. You have a new dance to learn and in your dress it won't be easy.'

'In my dress?' I raised my eyebrows. 'You've seen my dress?' I hadn't even seen it yet. I had a fitting on Monday after school. That much I knew. I was taking Lucy along for moral support.

'Yes.' She smiled and I did everything I could to remain calm.

'You won't be needed, dear.' Clarence said, dismissing Lucy, who was hovering behind me. I spotted Zed and he waved with his free hand, flowers in the other.

'Oh, Lord.' I cursed and Lucy squeezed my arm.

'I'll tell him it's not a good time.' She said as Clarence tutted at me, following my eyes.

'Language.' She scolded. 'Lovely flowers though, I wonder who they're for.'

I watched as Lucy went over and spoke to Zed, his face looking disappointed. Marcus let out a deep breath. 'I have a feeling they're for Sky, mother.' I blushed as Marcus looked at me, a flicker of hurt in his eyes, reflected by the aura around him.

'Isn't that that singer boy? The one that has a bit of a reputation?' Clarence gave me a disapproving look.

'Zed Benedict, my lady.' Nina said with a small smile. 'He's the boy that saved the princess' life.'

'I see.' She looked at my rosy cheeks and shook her head. 'You can do much better, your highness. He'd be quite a few steps down from a prince.' Now she was starting to sound like my father. I frowned as she walked past me. 'Come on, we have work to do!'

'I'm sorry about my mother.' Marcus said as we danced together, Lady Clarence making an important phonecall about my shoes, suggesting that I wear smaller heels to reduce the chances of stumbling.

'I know you'll have to take up the dress, but she can't fall over and make a fool of herself!' Lady Clarence was saying as Nina scribbled something down onto her clipboard.

I winced. 'It's okay, it's her job, right?'

Marcus didn't look convinced. He simply furrowed his brows. 'So Zed Benedict, hmm? Does he often send you flowers?'

'Apparently this week, yes.' I sighed.

His smile was playful. 'I thought you liked flowers.'

'Not when a guy thinks that's all it takes to win a girl over. I'm not most girls.'

He sighed. 'And don't I know it.' He twirled me around, as rehearsed, and we moved back into the traditional waltz. 'I don't know why mother wanted to come here. Your waltz is excellent these days.'

'I have a few ideas.' My eyes flicked to his mother, who was watching us with a gleeful expression. She frowned at what was said on the phone and looked away. 'Have you seen my dress?'

'Sorry but yes.' He gave a small smile. 'It's lovely. Very princessy though.'

'Very princessy?' I winced. 'What does that even mean?'

'Well it's not a fitted number. Big skirt.' He wrinkled his nose. 'I don't know much about dresses, but it's nice.'

'Colour?'

'I'm not sure I'm allowed to tell you.'

'Please.' I pleaded. 'I hate not knowing what I'm wearing. Why can't _I_ choose a dress?'

'Because it has to be a certain length and have certain sleeves and certain gloves and what not according to mother. Queen Roseanna did have a lot of input though and I'm sure she wouldn't let you wear something awful.'

He was right. She wouldn't. She was lovely and she knew my taste pretty well. 'I guess you're right.' He turned me again. 'Will you be at this state dinner?'

'Of course. Mother wouldn't miss it. Lord knows who I'm sat with, though. Hopefully not the Queen of Sweden. She's getting on these days and her granddaughter is... well a little bizarre looking.'

I laughed, picturing the young princess in my head. 'I don't think she's _that_ bad. No worse than me.'

'Your highness, you are definitely the pick of the princesses in Europe.' He gave a small smile. 'You have it all and you are terribly modest.'

I blushed and glanced down. I spotted Zed at the window and he gave a small smile as he watched, flowers still in hands. 'He's not giving up.' I sighed, shaking my head.

'And so he shouldn't.' Marcus' eyes met mine as I glanced back to face him. 'He'd be pretty stupid to let you go.'

Zed didn't go away. He stood out in the cold, patiently, for the next half an hour, when I was finally allowed to go, after correctly naming which cutlery to use for each course and quickly reciting information about each visitor coming to the dinner. I'd missed my own dinner and my stomach growled at me in disgust as I pulled on my coat and walked out into the rain, escaping from Lady Clarence before she could suggest Marcus and I had dinner together somewhere.

Zed held out the flowers, his face lighting up when he saw me. 'Hey.' He smiled, the smile making his eyes sparkle.

'Hello.' I replied, trying to keep my heart calm. I wanted to accept the flowers, but I was too proud for that and too stubborn. Giving me three lots of flowers in a week wasn't going to win my heart. Was it? I mentally slapped myself; no Sky, you're harder, tougher than that.

'Lucy said you didn't want any more flowers but I saw these sunflowers and well... I thought they might brighten your day.' His smile was crooked as he said the line that would make most girls swoon. I tried to resist.

'Thank you, but I haven't got any idea where I could put them.' Because of the other oversized bouquet sat on the window ledge that had to be moved everytime Lucy snuck out.

Zed's eyes flicked behind me as Marcus came outside, carrying a book I'd forgotten. The boys looked at each other, standoffish, giving each other the once over and I tensed, feeling uncomfortable. 'Marcus.' Zed said, smoothly.

'Zed. Lovely to see you again.' Marcus said, his voice bitter. He passed me my book and smiled at me, a smile that would make Tina flutter her eyelashes. 'Here you are, Sky. I'll see you next Saturday? You'll look lovely in that dress.'

I frowned. He was doing that on purpose. 'Yeah, sure, thanks.'

He bowed and he was gone, Zed burning holes into the back of Marcus' head as he walked away. 'I never liked that guy.' Zed said, his voice reflecting what he was saying.

My stomach growled. 'I know.'

'We've missed dinner.' Zed told me and I nodded. 'We could order a takeaway?'

My stomach growled in agreement and, although I wasn't sure, I gave in. 'Okay.'

'Lucy's with Nate so maybe we can order a pizza and eat in your room? It's not really the weather for a picnic.' I looked overhead at the grey sky as thunder rumbled, hiding the growl of my stomach.

'Sounds like a good idea.'

Zed and I ordered a Dominos and he snuck into my room, where we sat on the rug on the floor, tucking in as we spoke about school and our upcoming exams. And, surprisingly, it was actually pretty nice. He didn't try to cross the friend boundry once. We sat opposite each other, tucking in, and then Lucy came back and he made himself scarce, taking the empty pizza box evidence with him.

'So did you have a nice evening?' Lucy asked with a playful smile as we got into bed that night.

'It started off rubbish but I guess it brightened up.'

'Mmmm.' She grinned and turned off the lights. 'Just no more flowers, okay? This place is turning into a flower shop.'

I wasn't sure why Lady Clarence had to take me to my dress fitting on Monday, but she tutted when she saw that Lucy and I were still in our school uniform. I'd cleaned my shoes though and surely that was progress? She fussed over the messy fishtail plait in my hair as we walked into the designer dress shop after being buzzed in. Then she chatted away in her overly-British accent, enunciating every single syllable as she spoke to the designer. Lucy rolled her eyes behind Lady Clarence's bag and I had to stifle a giggle as I was ushered off to the dressing room.

I held my breath as I stripped to my underwear and slipped into the deep blue dress that had been made especially for me. I prayed that it would fit, that my measurements two weeks previously had been accurate. The designer buttoned the dress up at the back and I was surprised that it was a little loose. I looked in the mirror at the dress and I smiled. The bodice, a fabric I couldn't name, had cap sleeves a little off the shoulder, embroidered flowers across the neckline on the front and the back. It seemed to pull in my waist, making it look tiny, and the bodice fell in a v-shape, with a few more embroidered flowers before flowing out in a tulle skirt. It was princessy. Marcus had been right. In the light, some of the dress sparkled and the colour made my eyes pop too. The designer passed me some navy silk gloves and I slipped them on.

'I made it a little shorter as you now have these shoes instead of the higher ones.' The woman explained, holding up the little cream court shoes with the small heel. 'Lady Clarence said you were finding the dance a challenge, your highness, so I hope that these will do better.' I slipped my feet into the shoes, which were comfy because of their lessened height, and the curtain was pulled back.

'Oh my god!' Lucy cried out and Lady Clarence glared at her, making me smile, as I walked up onto the podium. Clarence walked over, circling me and inspecting me and I resisted the eye-rolling. It fitted. Was this really necessary? She pulled at some fabric on my waist and called over the designer.

'I think it needs taking in at the waist. Have you lost weight, your highness?' Lady Clarence asked.

'I don't know.' I replied, honestly. She was right, though, there was some extra fabric that didn't need to be there. The designer started pinning the dress carefully, my waist looking even smaller.

Clarence tutted, inspecting the rest of the design. 'You're going to waste away. You need to eat properly.' She looked at my feet and I lifted my dress. 'Not as lovely as the original shoes but I suppose it'll stop you falling over your feet.'

The designer looked flustered and I smiled at her. 'The dress and the shoes are lovely.'

'The gloves work well.' Clarence continued.

'And it will look lovely with your tiara and the jewels your grandfather left you for your birthday.' Lucy said with a reassuring smile.

Clarence straightened up. 'It'll do fine.'

'Erm, Lucy, what's going on?' I asked as Wilfred pulled up back at the school. Zed stood wearing his guitar, in front of a microphone, whilst Nelson stood by a portable amp with Nate and Yves. A few other people had crowded around, phones out and wondering what was going on. 'Is this a _Seven minutes in heaven_ gig I don't know about?'

'Oh goodness.' Lady Clarence looked flustered as I climbed out of the car. 'I don't do concerts for modern music. Terrible stuff with all that twerking.'

Lucy and I burst out laughing as Wilfred closed the door.

'What's twerking, your highness?' Wilfred asked, smoothly, as he bowed.

'You don't want to know.' I told him and he smiled, his eyes crinkling at the sides.

'I'll pick you up on Saturday morning miss.'

'Thank you.' And then he climbed in the car and headed off. I turned back to Lucy, who had a pretty smug grin on her face. 'What?'

And then Zed started to play and I froze as he started to sing. _'Oh, her eyes, her eyes_

 _Make the stars look like they're not shinin'_

 _Her hair, her hair_

 _Falls perfectly without her trying_

 _She's so beautiful_

 _And I tell her everyday_

 _Yeah.'_

His eyes locked on me and I tensed. 'This isn't-'

'For you?' Lucy smiled. 'Well I think it just might be.'

 _'I know, I know_

 _When I compliment her she won't believe me_

 _And it's so, it's so_

 _Sad to think that she don't see what I see_

 _But every time she asks me, "Do I look okay?"_

 _I say,'_

Tina and Zoe appeared at my side, carrying textbooks from the library. 'What's going on?' Tina asked.

 _'When I see your face_

 _There's not a thing that I would change_

 _'Cause you're amazing_

 _Just the way you are_

 _And when you smile_

 _The whole world stops and stares for a while_

 _'Cause, girl, you're amazing_

 _Just the way you are_

 _Yeah.'_

'So Zed Benedict is totally serenading you!' Zoe squealed beside me and Tina and Lucy hushed her as I waited for the ground to swallow me up.

 _'Her lips, her lips_

 _I could kiss them all day if she'd let me_

 _Her laugh, her laugh_

 _She hates but I think it's so sexy_

 _She's so beautiful_

 _And I tell her everyday,'_

People were looking at me. The girls were watching out of their windows in our dorm. Why wasn't I wearing my hair down? I could hide if my hair was down.

 _'Oh you know, you know, you know_

 _I'd never ask you to change_

 _If perfect's what you're searching for_

 _Then just stay the same_

 _So don't even bother asking if you look okay_

 _You know I'll say,'_

Part of me wanted to run, there and then. Hide in my dorm room and never come out. But the teenage girl in me was transfixed, transfixed on the eyes looking into my soul, the voice singing just for me.

' _When I see your face_

 _There's not a thing that I would change_

 _'Cause you're amazing_

 _Just the way you are_

 _And when you smile_

 _The whole world stops and stares for a while_

 _'Cause, girl, you're amazing_

 _Just the way you are_

 _Yeah_

 _The way you are_

 _The way you are_

 _Girl, you're amazing_

 _Just the way you are.' '_

He smiled then as he sang and a few girls near me sighed. I nearly did the same.

 _'When I see your face_

 _There's not a thing that I would change_

 _'Cause you're amazing_

 _Just the way you are_

 _And when you smile_

 _The whole world stops and stares for a while_

 _'Cause, girl, you're amazing_

 _Just the way you are_

 _Yeah.'_

The song ended and the crowd, now containing our year group and a few others, as well as some members of staff cheered. And then our headteacher came along, frowning and bringing the swooning girls and myself back to reality. 'Mr Benedict, just what do you think you are doing?'

'Crap, let's get out of here.' Lucy whispered, grabbing my hand and pulling me into the safety of the dorm. Girls whispered as we passed and I knew I was blushing. I also felt like I was going to cry, mixed emotions overwhelming me. Lucy pulled me up the stairs and into the safety of our room, Tina closing the door behind her.

'Zed Benedict just serenaded you!' Zoe squealed, repeating herself. She and Tina walked over to the window, looking out.

'I think he's going to be in trouble.' Tina said. 'He's getting pretty told off.'

'They'll call his parents.'

'Karla and Saul won't mind. They'll find it nice.' Lucy said with a small smile. She turned to face me. 'Now you can't say that that wasn't cute and romantic.' I bit my lip and she swatted me. 'Come on Sky, what girl doesn't want to be serenaded?'

'Everyone was looking.' I said, quietly. 'And people were filming.'

'So what? It's not like it's going to make the news.'

But it did. Someone had sent in the footage and every gossip column, Youtuber and blogger was talking about it. The same footage was being showed on the Entertainment news the following day and I cringed as Zed sang and then the camera panned around to my surprised face. It was mortifying. Then there were the whispers as I passed the corridor, the knocks on my dorm door from girls I hardly knew.

'Your highness, we weren't expecting you until the weekend.' Nina said as she greeted me in the courtyard of the palace. 'Did your exams not go well?'

'Oh I think so.' I replied. 'I just wanted to spend some time at home.' Away from the whispers, I added, silently.

'I'm not sure your room is ready for you.'

'Nonsense, I can do it myself.' I marched along the corridor and despite having longer legs than me, she hurried to keep up.

'And you have exams in the morning!'

'I'm aware, but Wilfred has already said he will drive me happily to my exams tomorrow and Thursday morning and then I have a study period Friday morning so I can almost have a lie-in.' I reached my room and she sighed, frustrated.

'I'll fetch Hannah and Clara.'

I walked into my room and closed the door, collapsing onto the chaise longe as I listened. To absolute silence. No door-knocking. No whispering. I relaxed and got out my textbook, doing some last minute studying for the exam the following day.

A knock on the door caught me by surprise after I had dismissed Hannah and Clara that night. I sat at my dressing table, brushing my hair carefully. 'Come in.' I glanced up, my eyes widening in surprise when I saw it was Queen Roseanna, dressed in a fancy-looking robe.

'Hello Sky.' She smiled sweetly, closing the door behind her. 'How are you?'

'Fine thank you.' I replied, politely, as she came up behind me.

'We've issued a press release.'

'Oh?' I bit my lip and my cheeks reddened with embarassment. I didn't like being the centre of attention. And Zed had made me just that. And naturally, the press were eating it up. She passed me a piece of paper and I scanned it quickly, reading it.

 _We can confirm that Her Royal Highness Princess Sky separated from Prince Sebastien some time ago and the Princess and Royal family ask for your kindness and support in this matter. Mr Zed Benedict's performance was a surprise to the Princess and this is something she wishes to deal with privately. We can confirm that Her Royal Highness will be attending Saturday's State Dinner as expected, after a week of thriving in her exams at school._

'Thriving?' I blinked.

'Your father's choice of words.' She gave a small smile.

'I see.' I gave her a small smile back and she sat down beside me.

'I called the school and asked them to remove any punishments they have given to Zed.'

'Why?' I turned to her, surprised.

'Because his heart was in the right place.' She reached out for my hairbrush. 'May I?' It was a gesture that surprised me, but, either way, I handed over the brush and she started to brush my hair, as a mother would do to a young daughter. It felt nice and strangely relaxing. 'So do you like Zed? As much as he likes you?'

'Sebastien and I haven't been separated that long.' I replied.

'Do you remember that night we spoke in Paris? When I said I was envious of how Zed looks at you?' She waited for me to nod. 'He still looks at you like that, Sky. I saw it every time he came to visit you after hospital. I saw it at the Ball a few weeks ago. He looks at you like you're his whole world. Like a young man in love.' I glanced down, blushing. 'There's nothing wrong with being embarassed or concerned. You're young, you've had your heart broken and it's been broken by Zed once before, I know that. I might be getting older but I'm not blind.'

A tear rolled down my cheek and she stopped brushing my hair. 'Why do boys do it? Break hearts?'

'Men do too.' She said, her voice sad. 'So I'm afraid it doesn't get any better, but I can tell you that _what_ and _if_ when put together are two powerful words that could haunt you the rest of your life.' She pulled my hair away from my face and looked at me in the mirror. 'Going after what you want is scary and possibly heartbreaking, but if you don't go for it you'll have nothing but regrets.'

I broke eye contact with her, looking down. 'I'm not sure I can face any more hurt. Not right now.'

'Then wait.' Her voice was calm, caring. 'I'm sure Zed will understand. I don't think he's going anywhere anytime soon.' She stood up. 'I'd better let you get some sleep. You have an exam tomorrow.' She walked over to the door.

'Roseanna?'

'Yes?'

'Thank you.' I said and she turned, smiled at me, and then she was gone.

Surprisingly, I slept okay that night, but Queen Roseanna's words filled my head the following morning as I sat in the car, Wilfred driving me to my exam after I'd had an incredibly early breakfast. I'd dressed differently today. I'd dressed for confidence. I wore skin-coloured tights, feeling a little cooler in those with the warm weather, and I tied my hair back in a bun, a sparkly hair piece from my jewellery box in my hair. And I'd done something even braver; around my wrist I wore the rose gold bracelet, the one with a single 'S' charm on it, the one Zed had bought me for my birthday. My biology exam was easier than I thought and then the English Literature one almost straight after wasn't too bad either, but maybe it was because I was doing well with my studies. Despite the whispers as I walked across the hallway afterwards, I left with my head held high as I walked over to meet Lucy, Tina and Zoe. And then I decided that I didn't want to hide; the old Sky might have, but not Princess Sky. I sent Wilfred and Nina a message, saying that I was going to stay at school.

'I'm glad you've decided to stay.' Lucy said as we sat down in the dining hall for dinner. A few girls walked past, stopping their conversation as they watched me before continuing as they walked away.

'What's their problem?' Tina frowned. 'A romantic gesture and suddenly everyone is giving Sky daggers.'

'They're jealous.' Nate said, sitting down across from us with Nelson. 'It's all the girls in class this afternoon was talking about. How they wish Zed had sang like that for _them.'_

'It's true.' Nelson nodded. 'And the fansite's for _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ are saying exactly the same thing.'

I bit my lip and looked down, blushing, and Lucy spotted my bracelet. She eyeballed it and then looked up at me with a knowing smile. 'Nice bracelet.'

'Thanks.' I glanced down at my food, wishing it would cool down so I could eat it.

'How are you having your hair on Saturday for your state dinner?' Tina asked, changing the subject. 'It looks nice tied back. You look older.'

'I agree. Older and kickass.' Zoe smiled and I laughed. Then I saw him. Zed. He turned with his tray of food and he gave a shy smile when he saw me. A smile that told me that maybe he was a little embarassed and felt awkward too. He glanced around at the other tables, as if not sure whether to join us, and I realised a few girls turning his way, smiling and waving at him, flirtaciously. And then he walked over and sat down, not in the empty seat opposite me, but the next one along. Our table fell silent as our friends looked between the two of us, waiting for one of us to say something.

I decided to speak first. 'Hey.'

His eyes flicked up to meet mine; eyes filled with surprise. 'Hey.' He looked over at our friends, who suddenly started eating as if they hadn't been watching us, waiting for us to speak. _I think we're today's dinnertime entertainment._ Zed said into my head and I smiled as I scooped up some food.

 _I think you're right._ I replied, taking a bite and pretending that I wasn't having a telepathic conversation with anyone. _We kinda were yesterday though, too._

 _Sorry._ His eyes softened from his space across from me and Yves sat down in the spare seat next to him. Zed's older brother watched us, warily, before joining in with the conversation the others were having. _If it helps, I got in loads of trouble._

 _That doesn't help._

 _My detentions got cancelled this morning, though._ He scooped up some food from his plate and ate it as he watched me.

 _The Queen is on your side._ I gave him a small smile as I swallowed my food. _She made a call._

He looked surprised again. _Wow, she really is nice._

 _She is._ I agreed. _She's pretty good at advice too._

'Earth to Sky and Zed?' Nate said, his voice irritated. We both glanced over at him. 'You didn't hear anything I just said, did you?' I blushed as we shook our heads. 'I was asking if you were around July 2nd? I have a free house all weekend and we might be able to use the pool if this heatwave makes an appearance.'

'I'm in.' Zed nodded and I sighed.

'Sorry, I can't that weekend.'

'Got a better offer?' Nate teased and I bit my lip.

'Actually, I'm in Norway that weekend.'

The silence was deafening and deadly and the awkwardness was unbearable. Zed looked uncomfortable and maybe even a little hurt.

'So that exam this morning was tough.' Nelson said, changing the subject and sensing the tension.

I looked down at my food and then back at Zed, who was frowning. _Are you going to Norway to see him?_ He sounded bitter and I didn't like it.

 _Of course not, it's over._ I replied. _But that doesn't mean I'm allowed to skip Royal functions. I_ have _to go._

 _And there will be Royal Suitors, right?_ Zed Benedict didn't say anything else. He got up and left the room without a single word verbally or telepathically.


	35. You look so perfect

Zed's words left me feeling bitter and swam around in my head the next few days so I opted for keeping myself busy. I was either studying in the library for exams, horse-riding or playing and writing music in the music rooms, keeping out of everyone's way. There were no more love letters. There were no more flowers. And it was oddly disappointing. On Saturday, as my hair and make-up was done, I realised on thing; I missed Zed and, whether I liked it or not, he was a part of my life. An important part too.

My dress was fastened at the back and I looked in the mirror at my appearance as my own unique tiara was placed on my head. I looked like a princess. But did I look like Sky? My ringlets were pulled back, pinned into a loose bun with a few strands falling and framing my face. I did look older, yes, but I didn't feel like me. A knock at the door startled me and Queen Roseanna walked in. The staff curtsied and she quickly dismissed them as I felt my bottom lip wobble. I wanted to cry.

'Sky, what's the matter?' She asked, pulling me into an embrace. She looked younger this evening, her hair tied up in a similar style to mine but she wore a jade green dress with lace cap sleeves, lace detailing on the side, at the waist and an embellished ribbon around the waist, white silk gloves covering her hands.

'I don't feel like me.' She told me and I bit my lip as she pulled back, gently touching my cheek with her glove-covered hand.

'What doesn't feel like you?' She asked. 'The dress is lovely.'

'I know.' I replied, quietly. 'I just feel like a princess and not Sky.' She looked at my hair and frowned, pulling out the pins. 'What are you doing?'

'Trying to get the wonderful Sky Bright back.' She gave a small smile as she continued pulling out the pins, my curls falling onto my back. 'Your hair is lovely, I don't know why they insisted on pinning it back.' Another curl fell and another. 'But I have a feeling it isn't just the hair. Is this about Zed?' I glanced at her in surprise and she smiled. 'I'm a mother, I know a few things, and you remind me of me when I was your age.'

'He's upset with me.' I said, my voice small, as she continued plucking at my hair.

' _He_ is upset with _you_ after the stunt he pulled?' She sounded a little amused. 'What could you have possibly done to upset him.'

'He's upset I'm going to Norway and he's upset that there might be suitors there.'

'Ah.' She paused for a moment as she ran her hands through my loose curlyy hair, making it neat. 'So he's jealous.'

'I don't know, maybe?'

She chuckled softly. 'There's no maybe about it. He's worried he will lose you to someone else and rightly so. It happened before.' I blushed and looked down as she concentrated on my hair for a moment. 'You know, you do have a say in who you end up dating, Sky. You don't have to please your father.'

'But he banned me from seeing Zed before and he was pretty angry.'

'Fathers aren't supposed to approve of who their daughters date.' She laughed. 'Besides, I think his opinion on Zed has changed a little... well at least it had before he decided to serenade you.' I blushed again and she smiled. 'Follow your heart, Sky. You're seventeen, you're young and beautiful and you deserve to be happy.'

There was a knock at the door and my father walked in, ready in his military uniform. He looked at his wife and smiled. 'I've been looking for you everywhere.'

'I was just helping Sky with her tiara.' She said and I gave her a grateful smile as I looked in the mirror. I looked more like myself with my hair down, my curls cascading over my shoulders.

'Well the guests are starting to arrive. Are you both ready?' I nodded and he smiled at me. 'Good. We might find you a nice young man yet, Sky. Don't make this one bored this time, though, will you?' I flinched and Roseanna squeezed my hand. Then I faked a smile and followed him out to greet the guests.

I didn't like this way of greeting people, I decided. We didn't walk down the stairs. We stood by the grand doors and every guest passed us, curtsying and bowing and the odd younger gentleman, who my father would have classed as a suitor, would pause and kiss my hand, which was thankfully gloved. I spent dinner sat between a Prince of Spain and a Prince of Monaco, both similar ages to me. They spoke to me in fluent English about school and my aspirations and I was polite back, even though I felt extremely uncomfortable. Deep in conversation, Phillip would glance my way every now and then and give me a reassuring smile, and I soon realised that his mother was doing the same. Other than nearly forgetting to remove my gloves to eat, I followed perfect etiquette and Lady Clarence almost looked happy as she watched from her place across the table, her husband on one side of her and Marcus on the other, practically burning holes into the princes sat beside me.

I was thankful when dinner was finished and we all retired to the ballroom, where music was playing. The music was classical and I was humming along to a tune I recognised from my music lessons at school when Marcus appeared beside me.

'Your highness.' He bowed, taking my glove-covered hand and kissing it as he had done on arrival.

I plastered a familiar fake smile onto my face. 'Lord Marcus, looking very dapper this evening.'

'Dapper?' He laughed. 'That's not one from my mother.'

'I think she would say well-groomed or debonair even.' I couldn't help but smile properly at that as he laughed. 'Are you looking forward to the dancing?'

'I am.' He smiled. 'But I am disappointed that you're not my dance partner.'

'You're not?' I blinked, scanning the room. 'So who is?'

'Prince Miguel I believe.'

I groaned. 'Really? Because he was ever so dull at dinner.'

'I hope you are confident with your Spanish.' His smile was playful and I frowned, quickly smiling as Prince Miguel approached. Marcus smirked as the Prince bowed, kissing my hand in greeting.

'Su Alteza.' Prince Miguel said with a smile and I curtsied to him. 'We shall dance, yes?'

The music changed to the song I'd rehearsed with Marcus to and I faked a smile as other young nobles and Royals took their places, ready for the old-fashionned waltz. He led me to the dancefloor and then we took our place in the two lines, facing opposite each other. We stepped towards each other, synchronised with the other dancers, and I curtsied as Miguel bowed, a smile on his face that kind of gave me the creeps. We stepped backwards and then the music changed. We held up our hands, circling each other as I'd done in dances many times before, our hands just a few centimetres apart. Then it was pause and go the other way. And then two hands as I tried not to meet Miguel's intense gaze. And then a turn and I we were waltzing around the floor. I stood up straight, keeping my posture en pointe as we passed Roseanna and my father. We stayed like that for some time and then we both moved outwards, still holding each other's arms before I was turned and then caught again by Miguel, his hand tight on my waist. We continued to waltz and then, thankfully, it was over. I curtsied as Miguel bowed again to me, his smile almost slimey.

'You are a wonderful dancer.' He said in his thick, Spanish accent.

'As are you.'

'Perhaps we dance again later?'

'Perhaps.' I held my dress and grabbed a glass of champagne, sipping at it as I walked out of the ballroom. When I could see that no one, other than a guard, was watching, I downed the flute and put it on an end table, placing my hands on my hips.

'Sir, it is strictly invite only. I'm not even sure how you got into the palace but you need to leave.' I heard Martin saying around the corner. 'This is a very serious public event.' Queen Roseanna appared beside me and glanced at the empty champagne glass, but she had nothing.

'Please Martin, you know me, I'm just here to see Sky.' Zed? My eyes widened. What was he doing here?

'What's all the commotion?' She tutted, walking straight past me and up the corridor. 'You know how I don't like a scene.' I hurried after her, holding up my dress so that I didn't trip over it. I had no idea how I'd just danced without falling over the tulle skirt. A guard walked out, stopping me from going any further.

'Your majesty.' I heard Zed say. 'I came to surprise Sky.'

'I think Her Royal Highness Princess Sky has had enough surprises this month, don't you?' Roseanna said, her voice etched with amusement. 'I do watch the news, Mr Benedict.'

'I'm sorry.' He apologised. 'I never meant to cause any embarassment to Sky or the Royal family.'

'It definitely livened up my week.' She said in response. I stepped forward but the guard stopped me and I frowned, folding my arms across my chest. 'Mr Benedict, this is a political event and I am afraid it is strictly invite only.'

'I understand that, your majesty, and I don't want to cause a scene but I don't know what else to do. She doesn't approve of me buying her flowers, she doesn't approve of me singing to her so I just thought... perhaps... perhaps I could surprise her. I even rented the tails especially, m'aam.' He paused for a moment as the Queen laughed softly and my mouth twitched into a smile. 'I know Prince Sebastien hurt Sky and I know I have before, but I can't live without her. I tried and I just couldn't. I've risked my life for her and I happily would again. I know I'm not a Prince or even a Lord, your majesty, and I can't afford to buy Sky diamonds or tiaras, but what I can do is make her happy and love her like no one else in the world would.'

'That's all we could ever ask.' Roseanna said and my heart fluttered in my chest. 'Sky? I know you're back there, come on out.'

I bit my lip as the guard stepped aside and I walked around the corner. Zed stood, surrounded by security guards, opposite Queen Roseanna. He was in a white tie outfit. And he'd even done his hair.

He smiled and bowed as I reached him. 'Your highness, you look breathtaking.' He whispered and I blushed. He turned to the Queen. 'Thank you for letting me see the Princess. I will go now.'

'Don't be ridiculous.' Roseanna tutted. 'You've rented tails and that's hardly cheap. You'll stay.'

'But the list, your majesty.' Martin said but Roseanna held up her hand.

'I think a personal invite from the Queen is more valuable then some silly list.' She said and she turned to face Zed. 'I hope you know your etiquette, Mr Benedict, this is a very important party.' And then she turned to me. 'I'll go and speak to your father, don't worry.' She gave a small smile and turned to walk away.

'Thank you.' I whispered and then she was gone. I turned back to Zed. 'You don't want to cause a scene? So you just turned up at some important state dinner?' He gave me a cheeky grin and I swatted his arm. 'Are you _insane_?! You're lucky it was Martin or you'd have had a bullet in your head!'

'I could add to the collection.' I swatted him again and his cheeky grin was wiped away and replaced with a shy one. 'I wanted to see you.'

'You're crazy.'

'About you, yes.' He grinned and Martin rolled his eyes behind him, making me smile. 'I don't think you realise how much you mean to me, Sky.'

I glanced down and sighed. 'Zed...'

'I know I've hurt you, but I'm not going to do that again, Sky. You mean too much to me and if you just give me a small chance, I will prove to you that I will be one of the best decisions you'll ever make.' He reached out and took my hands in his. 'Just give me some time to show you, please.'

My heart fluttered and I bit my lip, nervously, as my eyes met his. 'I suppose we'd better get back to the ballroom before Prince Miguel comes looking for me?'

He wrinkled his nose. 'Who?'

'Just give me your arm!' I said and he laughed.

'Of course your highness.' He held out his arm and I took it, leading him up the corridor. 'That doesn't sound like my kind of music.'

'It's a state dinner, were you expecting Ed Sheeran?' I teased and he smiled, glancing down at my dress and then back up at my eyes.

'I meant what I said, you know.'

'Which bit?'

'All of it.' He gave me a lopsided smile. 'You look breathtakingly beautiful, but then, I find quite often that you take my breath away.' He paused. ' _Cause girl you're amazing.'_

I covered his mouth with my gloved hand. 'No more singing, Zed, seriously.'

'But lots of people like my voice.' He pouted as we reached the entrance to the ballroom.

'Not the people in here, though. They prefer Mozart.' I squeezed his arm. 'Now just smile and don't talk unless spoken to. I'll do the talking. Oh good.' I faked a smile. 'Here's my father.'

'Wah?' I nudged Zed as I curtsied and he bowed beside me, looking more nervous then I'd ever seen him before. 'Your majesty.' Zed croaked out and I tried not to smile at his squirming as we both straightened up.

'Mr Benedict, you seem to like causing chaos.' My father commented and it was hard not to agree.

'Sorry, your majesty. I just really wanted to see Sky.'

He glanced at the Queen and then back at Zed. 'So I've heard. I hope you understand that I can't have you causing this family any bad publicity. We are _the_ Royal family incase you weren't aware.'

'I know, your majesty, and I completely understand that, but I'm pretty sure I'm in love with your daughter and I would do anything for her.' I blinked as I glanced at Zed. Did he just say that he was in love with me?

'You can stay, but only because I don't want any drama.' My father said, faking a smile as Prince Miguel passed, his eyes watching me with a passion that freaked me out. I squirmed. 'But if you ever turn up at this palace unannounced again I will have you thrown out, do you understand?'

Zed flinched and so did I. 'Yes, your majesty.'

'Good. I'm glad we have that sorted.' He smiled a wicked smile and left, Roseanna on his arm.

'Your father scares the shit out of me.' Zed whispered and I hushed him, aware that people were looking our way. 'So,' he looked around. 'Are we allowed to dance at these things.'

I laughed as he held out his hand for me. 'Of course.'

'Marvellous.'

Lucy, Tina and Zoe could hardly believe me the following evening, when we sat in my dorm room snacking on chocolate as The Vampire Diaries played in the background. They couldn't believe that Zed had turned up at the palace unannounced and they couldn't believe that he'd been allowed to stay either.

'I've decided I like your stepmother.' Lucy concluded, lying on her bed. 'She's really quite lovely.'

'She is.' I agreed with a smile.

'So are you and Zed a couple then?' Zoe asked as she braided Tina's hair.

'I don't think so.' I replied. 'I'm not really ready for another relationship yet and he knows that.'

'But you're giving him a chance?'

'I guess.' I shrugged.

'So you're dating.' Lucy smiled. 'That's progress.'

'Don't say the D word. It's scary.' I bit my lip as I fiddled with the rose gold bracelet I'd decided to wear again.

'I've heard scarier D words.' Tina smirked and I threw a cushion at her.

'Hello! Princess present!'

'Please, you're still a seventeen-year-old girl.'

'Enough!' Lucy groaned, throwing another cushion at our friend.

'What? You still haven't filled us in about you and Nate.'

'We don't need to know about Lucy and Nate!' I yelled, covering my ears. 'Stop right there missy!'

'Spoilsports.' Tina stuck out her tongue and pulled her hair out of Zoe's grip. 'So what else are we talking about?'

'Damon Salvatore's chest?' I suggested as the character appeared on the screen topless.

'Now that's more like it.'

That week was the last week of exams and I was thankful when Friday rolled around. No more assignments for the year and no more exams made me feel a little more relaxed, even though the Norwegian dinner was coming up in just over two weeks and the thought of that still worried me. Nelson hurried over to our table and dinner, buzzing with excitement and I was sure it wasn't because of Lucy's most recent cover video, which had been of _Ours_ by Taylor Swift.

'I've had the best idea!'

'You're getting a haircut?' Zed teased as he sat down across from me. He smiled, his eyes lighting up. _Hi._

 _Hi yourself._ I replied, returning the smile.

'Let's go out tonight!' Nelson said and I raised an eyebrow.

'You're forgetting that A) all of us apart from Yves are underage and B) we can't use fake ID because some of us are pretty well-known in this country.' I said and Nate nodded in agreement.

'I don't mean drinking. There's karaoke at the pub just up the road. Let's go there and celebrate.'

'Karaoke?' Lucy blinked. 'Are you serious?'

'You have your own Youtube channel and you're complaining about singing in a pub?' Nelson raised an eyebrow this time.

'Isn't this the place where you pull out an artist name and have to sing it? What if you get something crap like Cher?'

'Then it's a good laugh. I'd pay to see that.' Zed grinned.

'Especially if Nels put the wig on too.' Yves laughed.

'I'm not singing Cher.' Nelson frowned, getting irritated.

'Exactly my point.' Lucy replied.

'It could be fun though and it would be nice to do something.' I glanced over at my guards. 'We can't really sneak out with them around and I'm getting a bit fed up of climbing in and out of windows to break dorm rules.'

'Let's do it.' Tina piped up. 'Could be fun.'

'Agreed.' Zoe smiled.

'Okay.' Nelson smiled. 'Meet outside the girl's dorm in an hour?'

We changed quickly, not dressing up too much because we were only going to a pub, but Tina and Zoe put on Maxi dresses, Lucy put on shorts and a pretty kimono and I put on a turquoise maxi skirt and a white lace crop top with my gladiator sandals, leaving my hair loose and curly at my shoulders.

 _Breathtaking once again._ Zed said as we appeared downstairs and I smiled as we walked out into the sun. It still felt warm and it was clearly getting hotter as the days passed. Zed was still in his usual skinny jeans, t-shirt and hoodie attire though, despite the warm weather. The pub wasn't far from the school and the landlord made it clear he wasn't serving us any alcohol when we arrived.

'It's alright, we're just here for the music, mate.' Nelson had told him and the man had frowned and then spotted me.

'Your... your highness.' He stuttered, bowing. 'First round is on me.'

'Thank you.' I smiled and my friends grinned back at me.

'If we went to a restaurant with you, would dinner be free?' Nelson asked and I swatted him in the arm playfully as Zed raised an eyebrow. 'Don't worry, Zed, she's mean, she's all yours.'

Karaoke started soon after we'd arrived as we sat drinking J2Os (wild night) at the back of the pub. Despite being a Friday, it was pretty much empty, apart from a few other pupils I recognised from our school and a few students from the local college, who still had their ID lanyards around their necks. I'd noticed the girls staring at Zed and Nate. More than once.

'I'll go first!' Nelson said, going over to the stage. He pulled out an artist and smiled. 'Aerosmith! Awesome!'

'That wasn't awesome.' Zed groaned from beside me when Nelson finished singing. 'I think my ears are bleeding.'

'He might say the same about you.' I teased and Zed rolled his eyes.

'Tina, Zoe, you're up!' Nelson said and my friends ended up singing Shake it Off by Taylor Swift, which was pretty good going. Then it was my turn. I sucked in a deep breath and walked over to the bucket, dipping my hand right to the bottom. I pulled it out and I raised my eyebrows as I read the paper.

 _Seven Minutes in Heaven._

'You have to be kidding.' I said.

'Who did you get?!' Lucy called out.

'You'll never guess.' My friends shrugged, looking at me puzzled and I shook my head. 'I believe I just pulled out _Seven Minutes in Heaven.'_

'No freakin' way!' Nelson called, running over to me.

'Get on with it!' Someone hollered from the back, impatiently.

Nelson looked at my paper and burst out laughing. 'She totally did! What are the chances?!' He laughed. I sighed and then I spotted the guitar that Nelson had tried to play along to his Aerosmith song, badly. It was in tune.

'Well I suppose if I'm doing this, I'd better do it right.' I said into the microphone and I picked up the guitar, hooking it over myself. 'Zed, Nate, I'd appreciate it if you closed your eyes and blocked off your ears.'

'Not a chance.' Nate grinned and I bit my lip.

I only knew the chords to one of their songs and it wasn't ideal. But oh well. I started to play and I closed my eyes as I sang the opening lyrics, not wanting to see anyone's reaction. _'Simmer down, simmer down_

 _They say we're too young now to amount to anything else_

 _But look around_

 _We work too damn hard for this just to give it up now_

 _If you don't swim, you'll drown_

 _But don't move, honey_

 _You look so perfect standing there_

 _In your American Apparel underwear_

 _And I know now, that I'm so down_

 _My lipstick stain is a work of art_

 _I got your name tattooed in an arrow heart_

 _And I know now, that I'm so down.'_

My friends cheered and whooped and I closed my eyes, catching Zed's intense stare as Lucy and Nate gave me the thumbs up. I blushed and somehow, with Zed watching me, I made it through the rest of the song ( **AN: See Against the Current's cover of this- it's how I imagine it).** As I finished the song, my friends cheered and applauded, as did a few other pub members, some of which looked a little puzzled probably because they didn't know the song. I put down the guitar and got off the stage, retreating back to my seat as Lucy got up for her turn.

'Possibly better than our version.' Zed whispered as I ran a hand through my hair.

'Hardly.'

'It was.' He smiled as he moved closer, his breath tickling my ear. 'Your voice is incredible.' I bit my lip and then, in the middle of the pub, he kissed my cheek.

After an hour and a bit of fun, we returned to school, but not before Zed asked me to join him for a picnic tomorrow as the weather forecast was good.

'Not here.' He'd said, with a small smile. 'I want to show you somewhere my grandparents used to take me.'

So, the following day, despite Zed wanting to catch a train, a jeep drove us the hour and a half journey down South to a place I'd never been before; Arundel in West Sussex. The small town was a market town and that was clear from the shops and restaurants ascending the hillside, stretching up to the magnificent Cathedral. Then there was the best bit; the Norman castle. It stood high and proud, overlooking the beautiful town and I felt like it was smiling down at us in the sunshine as we parked.

'Your highness, make sure your sunglasses are on. It's quite busy.' Martin said from the front seat. I did as he asked and he nodded as he got out of the car. Zed slipped on his sunglasses beside me and I was surprised that he was in shorts. But then, it was a lot warmer. I climbed out carefully, brushing down my sundress as I reached the floor. My security guards, in their sunglasses, baseball caps and plain clothes made me smile. Unless you looked for their earpieces or the rucksacks that contained their guns and walkie talkies, they actually looked kind of normal. I glanced around at the busy car park as Dean paid for the parking ticket and no one batted an eyelid.

'Okay?' Zed asked with a smile as he looked down at me.

I nodded. 'This is nice.'

'It is, isn't it?' He agreed. 'Have you ever been to Arundel Martin?'

'No sir.' Martin replied, his face expressionless. He closed the car door as Dean returned and locked it, securely. 'I'm surprised your father allowed this, your highness.'

'As am I.' I replied, glad he had. I rubbed my shoulders, getting rid of the last bit of applied suncream aand I looked up at the sky. Beautifully clear and perfect. Zed shrugged on his rucksack containing our picnic and he reached out for my hand. And I took it.

Zed and I walked along the moat, hand-in-hand, with Martin and Robert leading the way and Dean and Mario walking behind us. They spoke to each other as they walked, but their quick glances at me or subtle glances around or pauses in conversation every now and again reminded me that they were on the job.

'So why Arundel?' I asked Zed, squeezing his hand. He brought my hand to his mouth and gently kissed it, sending electricity shooting through me.

'We used to come here when we were kids, all of us. Gran and Granddad lived not too far from here, about a fifteen minute drive and they liked bringing us all here for long walks and picnics especially in the summer.' He explained. 'We'd have ice creams by the river and sometimes we played minigolf.'

'Do I get an icecream later?' I asked and he smiled down at me.

'If you're well behaved.'

'I'm always behaved.'

'I beg to differ with your song choice last night.' He squeezed my waist and I blushed.

'I don't know the chords to any of your other songs.' I admitted.

'Then I guess I'll have to teach you.' We reached a bridge and he let me walk in front of him, single-file. My hand felt empty as he let go, but then his hand moved to the small of my back, guiding me. 'A left through the gate ahead, Martin.'

'Yes, sir.'

We turned left, through a large red gate and I found myself looking at a huge lake. Children ran around with their families, feeding the ducks, whilst others snacked on ice cream in the midday sun. There was a small lodge where a family sat eating cream cakes in the sunshine and, other than the noise of the birds and giggling children, it was so relaxing. And so very far away from London. I looked over to the glimmering lake which, despite being green, shined in the sunlight as rowing boats glided across the top of the water.

'What's your boating like?' Zed asked.

'No idea, never tried.' I admitted.

'What?' He looked surprised. 'Then I guess we'll have to change that. Come on.'

Needless to say that Martin and my other guards weren't happy but they spread out, some moving around to the other side of the lake, keeping a look out as Zed paid and helped me carefully into a boat. I squealed as it wobbled and he laughed as he sat down beside me, rowing us away from the shore. I sat very still, worried that the slightest movement would leave me in the water. I watched his arms flex, the muscles in them moving with each stroke, his t-shirt sleeve moving up enough to see the bullet-hole scar.

'What's on your mind?' He asked and I looked back to meet his eyes.

'This is just nice.' I smiled.

'Just nice?' He pretended to look offended. 'I take you to my favourite place and it's _just nice?'_

I laughed. 'It's beautiful.' I looked around at all of the greenery and the trees. 'I miss the countryside. It's so _peaceful_.'

'It is.' He agreed. 'And it's nice being out here without Martin listening to our conversation.'

'We could just talk telepathically.' I reminded him.

'It's not the same.' He gave a small smile. 'I like hearing your _real_ voice.' He glanced to the shore and chuckled. 'I know they don't look so obvious today, but right now they look like some weird stalkers or something.'

'As long as no one calls the police and reports them for being suspicious.' I laughed and he stopped rowing. We had reached the middle of the boating part of the lake and we simply just floated, away from everyone else as a swan passed. 'This kind of reminds me of The Notebook.'

'But with less birds.' He smirked. 'And without the alligators.'

'What?' I raised an eyebrow.

'The lake they were in had alligators in it. It's lucky they didn't go after the birds or it would have turned into a horror film.'

I rolled my eyes. 'You had to go and ruin one of the most romantic films ever, didn't you?'

He smirked. 'It's not that romantic. You just like it because Gosling is in it.'

'I do like a bit of Ryan Gosling.' I replied and he mocked looking offended again. 'Now you're just fishing for compliments.'

'Maybe.' He gave me his cocky lopsided smile and then it vanished. 'By the way, you look really pretty today.'

'I wasn't fishing.'

'I know.' He smiled. 'And I was just being honest.'

As nice as it was being away from my security guards, I was thankful when we were back on land again and the risk of falling in the water had slipped away. Zed pulled me out of the boat and my legs wobbled as I hit the ground and he grabbed me, holding me up until I regained my balance. Then he thanked the guy and we were on our way again, walking hand-in hand next to the water. We paused briefly to feed the ducks some duck food we'd bought and I ducked, trying to avoid getting attacked by seagulls.

Then I realised a little girl was watching me, a sad look on her face. 'Would you like some duck food?' I asked, crouching down beside her.

'Really?' She looked surprised as she looked up at me from under a head of wild red curls.

'Really.' I smiled, holding it out for her. 'In fact, you can finish mine.'

She beamed and took the back from me. 'Thanks. You look like Princess Rapunzel.'

'Do I now?' I laughed.

'Are you Rapunzel?'

I looked down at my purple dress and smiled as Zed appeared beside me. 'She is.' He confirmed. 'The one and only.'

'Mummy! Mummy! Rapunzel gave me her duck food!' The little girl ran off to her mum, pointing at me. 'And look there's Flynn Rider.'

'Good job.' I said to him and he gave me a cocky grin.

'Thank you.' The woman said as we passed and I smiled as Zed took my hand and we carried on our way.

'Where are we going?' I asked Zed as he pulled me off the path and started pulling me up a hill. 'Blimey this is steep. Are you trying to kill me.' I held my hand over my stitches as I stopped. It had been past the six weeks of resting, sure, but I was still easing myself in and every now and again I felt paranoid.

'To a picnic spot.' He scooped me up into my arms and I squealed.

'What are you doing? Put me down! Martin!' I cried out.

'Are you going to arrest me Martin?' Zed asked my security man and he simply smiled.

'No sir, you go ahead.'

'Hey!' I frowned as Zed pulled me tighter into his chest. 'You can't just gang up on me. I could be in danger.'

'We don't want you hurting yourself, your highness.' Martin replied and I sighed as Zed continued carrying me up the hillside like I weighed nothing.

'You're too fit.' I told him.

'Thanks.' He grinned, smugly, and I rolled my eyes.

'I mean as in you can carry me up a steep hill.'

'I work out every day, you know that right?'

'Could've fooled me when you lunged towards Ezra.'

'Now that's not very nice.' He said, but a smile was on his face. He paused and put me down. 'That ought to do it.' I turned around and blinked. We were alone on the hillside, overlooking the lake below us. The view was incredible and really made me wish living in the countryside. Zed pulled out a black blanket, spreading it across the floor and then I sat down on it carefully, stretching my legs out in front of me. He sat down beside me, as my security guards sat down, giving us enough distance but still keeping an eye on me and our surroundings. Zed pulled out the lunch he'd prepared and I smiled as he pulled out sandwiches, sausage rolls and other goodies (including yummy cakes), as well as two bottles of water and some paper plates. He passed me a plate and I tucked into the food without hesitation.

'Sky?'

'Hmmm?' I was in my own little world as I looked out at the lake below us. I was so glad I'd come. Arundel was gorgeous. I turned to face him and realised he was looking at me, the corners of his mouth upwards in a smile, his dark eyes shining now that his sunglasses laid on the ground next to him. He reached up and removed my sunglasses, his eyes looking deep into mine.

'Much better.' He whispered. 'I like seeing your beautiful eyes.'

I bit my lip and looked down but his hand moved under my chin, tilting it up so that I was looking at him. I swallowed as his eyes moved to my lips and then back up to my blue pools. Our faces were so close together that I could feel his breath, tickling my lips. My heart fluttered in my chest and I swallowed as his eyes looked into mine and then his hand tucked a curl behind my hair and suddenly his lips were on mine. It was a gentle kiss, which surprised me. I'd remembered Zed's kisses being full of passion from before, firey. But this was so gentle that it made my lips tingle as his mouth moved against mine. It lasted a few seconds and then he moved backwards, but only enough to rest his forehead against mine. My breathing caught in my throat.

'Shall we go?' He asked and I let out a shaky breath, returning to reality. 'I'd love to just sit here and kiss you but I don't like that we're being watched. It's a little off-putting.'

Zed and I raced each other down the hill in a mixture of rolls and some jogging when we realised the grass-stains on our clothes were getting a little bit too much. We spent another half an hour walking around the lake at a leisurely pace as walkers and families passed by, completely oblivious to who we were. And then we found ourselves walking along the moat before heading to sit by the river, where Zed bought me an ice-cream. I didn't want to go back to school afterwards, but I knew he had a band meeting and rehearsal that evening as he was preparing for an upcoming music festival, so we headed back, talking and holding hands in the back of the car like it was the most natural thing in the world.

'Spill!' Lucy said as soon as I walked through the door. Tina and Zoe had gone home for the weekend, so she was sat by herself, studying in front of the plug-in fan I'd bought us that week to help us to cope with the rising heat.

'Hi Sky, how was your day? It was nice thanks, how was yours Luce?' I teased as I closed the door behind me, collapsing in front of the fan and tying my sticky hair straight up into a bun. The cool air kissed my neck and I sighed, content.

'How was your day?' She grinned as she picked up a book and started fanning herself. 'I'm personally experiencing hot flushes aged seventeen.'

'It was... nice.' I smiled.

'Just _nice_?' She raised an eyebrow. 'Where did you go?'

'Arundel?'

'Like in Frozen?' I laughed and pulled out my phone, showing her a picture I'd taken of the castle and then one of the lake. 'It looks nice and calm and pretty.' She said, grabbing my phone. She flicked to a selfie of Zed and I, his arm around my shoulders and she raised an eyebrow. 'So what did you do?'

'We went for a walk and a picnic and Zed hired us a boat but I let him row.'

'And?' I blushed and looked down. 'Oh my god, you guys totally kissed!'

'Maybe.' I bit my lip.

'Did you like make-out?'

'No, it was just one kiss.' I replied, trying to stop myself from smiling and failing. 'A really _good_ kiss.'

'Then why just one?'

'Because I have security guards that follow me everywhere.' I wrinkled my nose. 'It makes things a little awkward.'

'I'll bet.' She sighed. 'So are you two, like, an item now?'

I picked up a nearby piece of paper, fanning myself with it. Our room was boiling and there was no use opening the window; the air outside was just as hot. 'I don't think I'm ready for that yet. It's going to take some time.' I definitely wasn't ready and I was scared of being hurt again, that much I knew.

 _I'm not going to hurt you, ever again._ Zed's voice filled my head and I tried not to frown as Lucy would wonder what on earth I was doing.

 _Do you have to read my mind?_

 _Maybe I was trying to see how you felt about our date._ His voice sounded playful. _Did I do okay?_

 _I think you know you did okay._

'Sky?' Lucy waved her hand in front of my eyes and I blinked, returning to the real world.

'Hmmm?'

'Can we head to dinner? I'm starving.'

I decided to go to visit Sally and Simon the next day as I knew they had a day off and I felt as if I was neglecting them. Wilfred dropped me off outside their townhouse near the river and I thanked him before unlocking the door and heading inside. I loved their townhouse and it was a breath of freshair from the grand rooms in the palace. The rooms were decorated with cream and white walls, artwork hung up on them, and the furniture looked as if it came out of an Ikea catalogue. And I liked it.

'Sky!' Sally pulled me into a hug, kissing the top of my head. 'It's been a long time since you visited.'

'I know and I feel awful for it.' I replied as Simon appeared in the hallway too, looking surprised to see me. 'I'm sorry I've been neglecting you.'

'It's okay.' He gave a small smile. 'You've met your blood family, your real father. I completely understand.'

Even though he had a smile on his face, I knew he was sad and I felt sad for him too. 'Simon, no matter what, you'll always be my _dad._ ' I told him as I hugged him. 'I know Edward is my father but you were both there when I needed you and you made me feel _real_ and _normal_ again.'

Simon ruffled my hair and I groaned, making him laugh. 'That means a lot, sweetheart. Now come on, I'll put the kettle on.'

'I think tea needs avoiding today unless it's iced.' Sally said with a wrinkled nose. 'I'll put the fan on and then we can sit in the living room.' I followed Sally to the living room, perching myself on the armchair in front of the fan, not caring that the escaped tendrils of my braid were blowing in my face. 'You've had a busy few weeks.'

'Yeah.' I replied as Simon came into the room with a jug of water filled with ice. He poured each of us a glass and sat down on the sofa.

'I see that Zed boy has been trying to win your affections.' Simon said and I blushed, although I was sure that it wasn't visible on my already-red face. 'Singing for you in front of all of your peers. Very brave.'

'He's used to it.' I shrugged. 'He is a musician, remember?'

'True.'

'Well don't rush into things, sweetheart.' Sally squeezed my knee with affection. 'You haven't been single for long.' And I knew she'd been disappointed when Seb and I had broken up. She'd liked him. He'd been the perfect gentleman, bringing over a bottle of wine when he'd come for dinner and he'd taken an interest in Sally and Simon's love for art, sharing his own experiences and own favourite artists with them.

'I'm not going to.' I told her. 'I don't want to get hurt again.'

'You're fragile, sweetheart, you always have been.' Simon said, squeezing the opposite knee to the one Sally had. I resisted a frown. Fragile? Weak? Clearly I needed to get rid of that persona and start looking after myself.


	36. There's no turning back for us tonight

The heat rose to 29 degrees celsius on Monday and my first lesson at school, English Literature, was almost unbearable. Everyone had shiny faces and we fanned ourselves, wishing we had aircon as the teacher, Ms Jones, spoke about _Midsummer Night's Dream_ , possibly one of Shakespeare's strangest plays. She sat down, fanning herself, and sighed.

'Miss, I feel faint.' A girl called out from behind me. Ms Jones' eyes flickered with concern as she moved past me, crouching down beside my classmate. A knock at the door took all of us by surprise and we all looked up as our deputy headteacher, Mr Smith, walked in through the door.

'Ms Jones, we've decided to cancel lessons for the rest of the day. It is far too hot to teach without airconditionning as I'm sure you'll agree.'

The class cheered, but some were quieter than others, feeling unwell in the warm room. I felt dizzy as I stood up and I took a swig of water as Lucy pulled me out of the room. Back at the dorm, I had a cold shower, enjoying the cooling sensation on my skin, and I changed into a bikini, pulling a pair of shorts and a loose-fitting vest top over the top. When I returned to the room, Tina, Zoe and Lucy were sat in front of the fan, wearing summer clothes, bikinis included and fanning themselves too.

Lucy glanced up from her phone and smiled when she saw me. 'We're all heading out. Have you got your bikini?'

'Yeah.' I raised an eyebrow. 'Where are we going?'

'Only down to the other side of the lake. There's a swimming bay.'

'Okay.' I replied with a small smile. I'd go, but I wasn't going swimming. No one was going to see my stomach.

'We'll go to the dining hall and grab some lunch to takeaway first.' Tina said, grabbing her beach bag. 'We can have a picnic.'

I thought back to my picnic with Zed and smiled, although I doubted our afternoon was going to be _that_ perfect.

'The Swimming hole', as my classmates called it, was on the far side of the lake, far from the buildings and a good twenty minute trek along the dirt track through the woodlands I'd spent time with in wintertime with Zed, before everything had become complicated. I'd rode there on horseback before, but I'd never stopped; there had been no appeal. But here, on a sweltering hot Monday lunchtime, it was busy. The grass was busy with our peers, picnicking together, some probably drinking more than just water in their clear-water bottles, whilst a few were in giant rubber rings, floating in the lake and some were swimming. There was a tyre attached to a tree near the water and I watched as some of my classmates swung from it, landing in the water.

'My gorgeous women, over here!' Nelson hollered and we rolled our eyes, walking over to where he was spread out on the ground in a tank top and shorts, Yves, Nate, Zack and Zed behind him.

'Sweet baby Jesus.' Tina said from behind me and I knew why. The boys of _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ were all topless, displaying their muscular chests. Zed's was the most muscular, carved by Gods, and it was sunkissed too. My mouth felt dry and he smirked. He was reading my thoughts. Damn him. I felt embarassed. Mortified. I blushed as Lucy moved first, spreading her towel out on the ground next to Nate and slipping off her tank top, so that she was just sat in her denim shorts and a bikini top. She kissed him in greeting, where he lay on the ground, and he smiled as she laid out beside him. Tina and Zoe were just as confident, stripping into their bikinis like the other girls around us and then sitting down on their towels, basking in the sunlight.

'There's a space next to me, Sky.' Zed said with a friendly smile, patting the grass beside him. My friends watched the exchange, Tina asking for a slap when she wiggled her eyebrows, and I sat myself down beside Zed on my towel. But I kept myself fully clothed. I pulled out a bottle of water and took a gulp, distracting myself from Zed's chest. 'You alright?' He asked, his eyes meeting mine.

'Yeah.' I smiled. 'You?'

'Yeah. Glad to be out of the classroom. Our maths room this morning was crazy hot.'

'So was English Lit.' I replied, fiddling with my braid. 'This heat is unbearable.'

'I love it like this when we're in Italy.' He said, thoughtfully. 'But then we have a lake right by the house and that makes a difference.'

'A house in Morzine and one in Italy too?' My eyebrows shot up in surprise. The Benedicts had a lot more money than I thought.

'Mum's family are Italian.' He said. 'Hence our colouring.' The Benedict olive skin and dark hair. I supposed it made sense. They did look Italian. 'We have a house over in Lazise on Lake Garda so we can visit her side of the family as my Nonna and Nonno still live there.'

'Nonna and Nonna?'

'Grandma and grandpa.' He smiled. 'I'm guessing you don't speak Italian.' I thought to the weekend, when he'd told me about grandparents living near Arundel. His eyes turned sad and he looked down. 'My dad's parents. We lost my grandpa a few years back and grandma when I was ten.'

'I'm sorry.' I apologised. I thought of my grandfather, the only one I'd ever known, and a lump formed in my throat. I knew he was reading my thoughts because Zed reached out for my hand, holding it and squeezing it. But he didn't let go like I expected. He simply held it there and he pulled me so that I laid down beside him, our fingers intertwined.

'Right that's it, I can't take this heat, I'm going for a swim.' Nate said just over an hour later. He sat up quickly as Lucy rubbed in her suntan lotion. She threw the bottle to me and, surprisingly, I caught it. 'Any of you losers joining me?'

'Says the biggest loser.' Zed said from beside me. He removed his sunglasses, looking over at me with a lopsided smile.

'I'll come.' Lucy said as Nate pulled her to her feet. 'I'm boiling.' She pulled her hair back into a ponytail.

'We'll all go.' Nelson replied and my friends all got up around us. I looked over at the lake, where our classmates were swimming about and relaxing on inflatables. The water was busier so the banks were quieter, and a game of volleyball had started down on the sand.

'Sky? Zed? You coming?' Nate asked as he reached out for his girlfriend's hand.

'I'm good.' I replied with a small smile, sitting up and self-consciously wrapping my hand across my covered belly. Lucy gave a sympathetic smile beside him, knowing my ongoing battle with the scar on my stomach. I turned to Zed. 'But you can go.'

'I'll wait here.' He said, his fingers gently on my back.

'Suit yourself.' Nate shrugged and my friends headed off for the tyre swing. We watched as they walked off, chatting and talking and laughing in the hot early July sunshine.

'So how come you're not swimming?' Zed asked as I laid back down beside him. He laid down too, rolling onto his side so he was facing me. I bit my lip as my eyes flicked down to his abs and then back up to his face.

'I don't want to.' I replied, my voice small.

'Hmm.' He didn't look convinced. His eyes spotted my hand around my waist and he moved it away. 'You're afraid of people seeing your stomach.'

He'd caught me. I broke eye contact and looked down as his fingers curled around mine. I thought of the scar beneath my t-shirt and I winced. It was healing, sure, but it was still there. The 4cm pink line on my lower stomach.

'Baby, no one cares about that stuff.' I looked up in response to the pet name he'd used. _Baby._ It surprised me, coming from Zed Benedict of all people.

'I care.' I replied and his expression softened.

'But it's part of you and _you_ are beautiful, Sky Bright. You're beautiful and cute and strong and caring and your scar is part of that.' His eyes met mine with that intense gaze he often used, the one that seemed to draw me towards him like a magnet. I often wondered if that was a soulfinder thing. Perhaps it was. I looked away, my cheeks reddening. 'What, you don't like compliments? You always get embarassed when I give you one.'

'It's not that I don't like them.' I replied, biting my lip again. 'It's that I don't know what to do with them.'

'Just say, _thanks Zed, that was awfully kind of you_.' He grinned and his eyes ran over my lips. 'And please stop biting your lip.'

'Sorry.'

He reached out, brushing his fingers against my cheek and I swallowed. 'Sky, you're so full of fear and you needn't be.' But I was. I was afraid Ezra's men would come back for me. I was afraid of going to Norway that weekend and facing Seb. I was afraid of my past returning to haunt me. I was afraid that Zed was going to break my heart and I was afraid of my father, The King, and these expectations set out in front of me. I wanted to be strong, I desperately did, but how could I be when my world had fallen apart so many times? A tear rolled down my cheek and Zed caught it. 'Baby, you have nothing to be afraid of.' He whispered, his thumb caressing my cheek gently. 'You're not getting away from me. Never again.'

School was cancelled the rest of the week, due to the heat, but it didn't make much of a difference. Exams and assignments were over for the year so I had no idea why we were still in school. Two weeks remained, ten days, when Friday rolled around and I knew that after that ten days there would be prom, the American-adopted tradition, and then it would be summer. Friday afternoon, I grabbed my handbag and headed out to the car, where Wilfred was sat, waiting to take me to the airport.

'Sky! Wait up!' I turned at the sound of Zed's voice as he jogged towards me, in a vest and shorts, the air still hot but set to cool over the weekend. I adjusted the bag on my shoulder, the strap making my shoulder sweaty. 'I wanted to say goodbye.' He said, simply, a playful smile on his face.

'You have one minute, your highness.' Wilfred said, moving around to the other side of the car to give me some room.

'I thought you were heading to the city for a photoshoot.' I replied. Their album was being released in two weeks and they still needed the promotional photos and the merchandise to run alongside it.

'In a bit, yeah.' He shrugged, taking a step towards me. 'I wanted to see you before you went to Norway.' He looked nervous, if not a little sad.

'I don't want to go. If it helps.' I told him and he gave a small smile and a nod.

'I know you don't. I just worry.'

'Prince Sebastien is still in service. I'm sure he won't be attending.' I replied, shrugging it off, even though my stomach still worried that he would. 'And I'll be back Sunday. If it helps, I probably won't even like my dress. I've not even see it.'

'You'll look beautiful.' He said with a small smile, taking my hands in his. 'You always do.'

'Zed.' I blushed and his small smile widened into a grin.

'Sorry.' His thumbs gently stroked the backs of my hands. 'I really want to kiss you goodbye, but I suppose it's not appropriate.' He glanced around at the whispering classmates that passed us. 'I want to be able to call you my girlfriend.'

'I just need a bit more time.' I told him, my stomach doing flips.

'I understand. Do I get a hug at least?' He opened his arms and I ran into them, wrapping my arms around his waist. He wrapped his around my shoulders, kissing the top of my head and making me relax a little. 'I'll see you Sunday.'

'See you Sunday.' I said, pulling back, reluctantly.

'Your highness, we must go.' Wilfred brought me back to reality.

'Okay. Goodbye, Zed.'

'Goodbye, Sky.'

The two hour and fifteen minute plane ride to Oslo felt long and possibly longer because of my nerves. Phillip sat opposite me, chattering away about the lovely weather and how nice it must have been for me to have a week off of school because the school building was too warm. I also knew that he too sensed my nerves and wanted to keep me relaxed. Queen Roseanna and my father were sat on the other side of the aisle, talking business as usual, despite the fact that they were wearing relaxed summer clothes. I'd had to change into a light blue teadress and small heeled court shoes, my hair in a tidier braid than it had been before. It felt unusual not wearing shorts for the first time in days, but I knew I'd be fine when we landed for the temperature in Oslo was a mere eighteen degrees, ten degrees cooler than it had been in London when we left. The plane landed and we were greeted by Royal Guards on arrival, the press photographing us as we made our way into the car. And then, at eight o'clock Norwegian time, we headed to the palace.

'Relax.' Phillip whispered to me as we were driven towards the grand Royal Palace that had been home to me just a few months previously.

'Easier said than done.' I whispered back, smoothing down my dress.

'Just think, dear sis, in just over 36 hours we will be heading home again.' He squeezed my shoulder as I sucked in a deep breath as the gates to the palace driveway opened and we were driven inside. 'It's really not that long.'

'Well it seems like an age to me.'

The car parked in the courtyard where a blue carpet was rolled out, guards and the Royal household stood either side ready to greet us. And then there was The King, The Queen and Princess Laura stood awaiting our arrival too. The car door opened and we were announced as we climbed out of the car. Following protocal, my father went first with his wife and they greeted King Aleksander and Queen Elena with a bow and a curtsy. Phillip and I followed, doing the same, and then Lolly broke the protocol by pulling me into a hug. Her parents laughed, as did Roseanna, but my father's face stayed serious.

'I've missed you!' Lolly said to me, beaming. 'It's been too long!'

But had it been long enough?

The King and Queen of Norway had housed me in my old bedroom, saying it would make me feel comfortable, but I felt the opposite. As Lavine, my old handmaiden, unpacked my belongings, I sat in my spot on the window-sill as emotions overcame me. I thought of the times Seb had been in the room, comforting me in the middle of the night, always being there and I frowned. Not because I still cared but because I was angry. And I couldn't help but feel that this soulfinder business was painful. The Gods decided who you were to be with and that meant hurting people on the way. I didn't have a choice, did I? I was supposed to be with Zed, just like Seb was supposed to be with his soulfinder, Angelika. And if you weren't, you'd be off-balance. Angry, emotional. Never happy. What kind of sick world was this?

'Anything else miss?' Lavine asked. 'I can run you a bath?'

'I'm fine thank you.' I told her, turning so that she couldn't see the tears staining my cheeks. 'Goodnight Lavine.'

'Goodnight your highness. It's nice to have you back.'

My sleep was restless and I was woken by shaking. Opening my eyes confirmed my thoughts; Lolly. Ah yes, it was good to be back.

'Is there a fire?' I asked, pushing her away from me.

'Of course not, silly.' She tutted. 'But it is ten AM.'

'Nine in England.' I reminded her and she rolled her eyes.

'Come on, the sun is shining, don't you fancy a walk? Or we could go shopping?'

'Or I could go back to sleep?'

'You're still not a morning person.' She laughed. 'Isn't that what you say in England?'

'Yes and it's so true.' I pulled the covers over my head and she pulled them back.

'Come on, I'd like to do something before the Ball. We could go boy hunting.' I groaned and she laughed. 'Oh come on, it'll be fun. I'm single you're single... although apparently in England it's okay to sing to girls you find attractive and to crash Royal parties.' I buried my face and she completely pulled off the covers. 'No you don't! Tell me everything.'

'Nothing to tell.'

'Liar. I watch E! News.'

'The news isn't always true.'

'Mmmhmm.' She looked at me, unconvinced. 'Breakfast is on its way up. Get dressed and then we are going out.'

I'd loved to have worn jeans, but Nina hadn't approved them for my visit, so I was stuck wearing a watercolour-print skirt and a white blouse with nude coloured pumps. I pinned back my hair into a half-updo and joined Lolly for pancakes, listening to her talk about the primeminister's son, who she had been crushing on now that he was back from boarding school and looking _virkelig attraktivt_ (really attractive).

We ended up in the Botanical Gardens, a short drive away, walking along the path and taking in the greenery, a haven in the middle of Oslo. The gardens were surprisingly quiet, only with a few families and people jogging by and, surprisingly, despite our entourage, no one batted an eyelid, although I wondered if that was because they were intimidated by the security team of both Norwegian and England guards. We paused by a lake with a small waterfall and sat down on a bench in the mild summer air.

'I'm sorry about my brother.' Lolly apologised and I shook my head.

' _You_ have nothing to apologise for.'

'I do.' She replied. 'I encouraged it, told you to go for it. I guess I was a little biased and didn't think my brother was a complete idiot.'

'It's not his fault.'

'It _is_. He hardly even knows this girl, yet he's willing to give up so much for her. Dad's furious. He and mum really like you and thought you had a bright future together.'

'Teenage romances don't usually last.' I told her and she frowned beside me.

'But sometimes they do. And it could have lasted. He was completely in love with you.' I blinked in surprise.

'Don't be ridiculous.'

'Didn't he ever tell you that?' She looked surprised. 'He was always saying in his letters that he had never felt like that, that he'd do anything for you, that he was completely in love with you. Sheesh, he's an even bigger idiot that I thought.'

'Well sometimes things don't work out.' I shrugged. 'To be honest, I wasn't expecting it to. Happy endings are a load of bull.'

'Bull?'

'A load of rubbish.'

'Oh.' She was quiet for a moment. 'I like to think that they do exist, but then I suppose I've never had my heart broken.'

'You're lucky.' I told her. 'Because it _sucks_.'

'Hey, how are you?' Zed said when he rang that evening as my dress was fastened with the tight ribbons at the back. I gasped as they tied them tightly and I thought of Mary Queen of Scots on Reign; how had she coped wearing corsets? They were unbearable.

'I'm okay thank you. Yourself?'

'Missing you.' His voice sounded shy and I heard Nate mimick him in the background, but he simply ignored him. 'How's Norway?'

I shrugged, even though he couldn't see me. 'Alright I suppose. Lolly and I went for a walk and now I'm getting ready for the dinner and dance.'

'Your highness, your tiara.' The hairdresser said and I moved my phone away, allowing her to place it on top of my head, on my updo.

'And is your dress awful?'

Annoyingly, it wasn't. The dress was strapless with a tight bodice (thanks corset back) before it fell outwards into an A-line skirt. It was a cream colour with pink and red roses spread out on it. With my tiara it looked beautiful and very summery. 'I guess it's okay.' I said to him.

'Will you send me a picture before you head to dinner?' His voice sounded hopeful.

'Of course. I'm not sure about my hair, though.' It was in an updo, tendrils falling and framing my face. I liked my hair a lot better in a plait or even down, over my shoulders. My neck and shoulders felt too exposed with it in an updo.

'I'm sure you look beautiful.'

'Your highness, are you ready? It's time.' Lavine said and I nodded.

'I have to go.' I told him, suddenly longing for his touch. Why was he not there with me? I'd be more relaxed if he was.

'Okay. Have a great time and send me a picture.'

'Sure.' I hung up the phone and took a picture of my outfit in the full-length mirror, before sending it to Zed and plastering on a fake smile. I put my phone in the bedside table and took a deep breath before heading downstairs.

It felt weird being in the grand hall as a guest, greeting the royal family, as I was so used to it being the other way around. Weirder still, because I'd practically been a part of _this_ royal family for a month too. But, nonetheless, I stood in the line of guests, some of which I recognised from other events and from the State Dinner in England the previous month, awaiting the entrance of King Aleksander, Queen Elena and Lolly. But instead of three entering, it was four, and my heart hammered against my chest as bile rised in my throat. What the heck was Seb doing there? He wore his military uniform, like his father, a sash across him, as he walked alongside Lolly in her princess-shaped lilac dress. Phillip's face fell across from mine and his mouth and eyebrows twitched as he fought with the urge to be angry, the red aura surrounding him. His eyes met mine and they softened, almost apologetic, as the Norwegian Royal family walked along, greeting their guests.

My eyes met Lolly's and she too looked apologetic and then Seb looked my way, his eyes sad as they met mine. I took a deep breath, curtsying as I greeted his parents and then him and Lolly, my poker-face on as the cameras captured the moment.

'Deres høyhet.' _Your highness._ I said in greeting as I rose to my feet again. I clasped my hands in front of me as Seb's mouth twitched, his expression unreadable, and then he carried on along the line, allowing me to breathe again. Sort of. My dress suddenly felt too tight.

The dinner started shortly after that and I was thankful to be seated near Lolly, but not near Seb, although he did glance my way every now and again as I wondered why on earth I had been once again put in Miguel's company. He chatted to me constantly, calling me a _beautiful senorita_ and making me cringe. I just about stomached my food, deciding it would be rude not to eat it, poor etiquette, and I was thankful when we were excused from the dinner table, the guests moving into the other room.

'I'm sorry.' Lolly said, appearing at my side and apologising for the second time that day. 'I didn't know Seb was coming. Mum and dad didn't tell me that part.'

'It's okay.' I replied, although my stomach churned, begging to differ.

'If it helps, you look gorgeous and he keeps looking at you, hopefully realising what he's lost.' She looped her arm through mine, leading me into the other room.

'My beautiful senorita.' Miguel appeared in front of me, bowing and kissing my hand. I tried not to look as horrified as I felt, trying to fake a smile.

'Prince Miguel, hello again.' I said from behind my biggest fake smile.

'You are exquisite.' He said. 'A true beauty.'

'Uhm, thank you.' I replied, blushing from the embarassment and from the compliment at the same time.

'We must dance together later.' He said, a slimey smile appearing on his lips. I swallowed and took a step backwards. 'We are quite a pair.' And then he was gone.

Lolly looked taken aback. 'What. The. F-'

'Sky, what a lovely surprise.' Seb appeared in front of me, bowing, and I swallowed, trying to keep my dinner down. I wanted to turn and run as fast as I could, but where could I go? I was in Norway, in _his_ palace.'You look lovely as always.'

'Thank you, your highness.' I replied, keeping it formal. He looked taken aback by the formality of the situation and his smile vanished. 'I hope you are well and enjoying your time in the navy.'

'Erm, yes.' He looked nervous now, running his hand through his messy blonde hair as he often did when he was uncomfortable. 'It's going okay.'

'Good.' I folded my arms across my chest, showing negative body language that Lady Clarence would have killed me for.

'I heard about Ezra's sentence.' I flinched and he reached out to touch me, but seemed to change his mind. 'He should be away for longer.'

I bit my lip and nodded, feeling tears in my eyes. 'But that's not the way the legal system works, unfortunately.'

'I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you.'

'It's okay.'

He looked awkward, as if trying to find the words to say. He looked over at Lolly, silently asking her to leave but she pouted and shook her head. She wasn't going anywhere and for that, I was grateful. 'Sky I'm sorry for everything I've put you through.' He said, his voice sad. 'I didn't want this to happen. I thought things would be different.'

'But they're not, are they?' I said, bitterly.

'You know the situation, surely you understand.' The look was pained. 'You'd do the same.'

'But I wouldn't.' I replied, feeling irritated. 'Because I met my soulfinder _months_ ago yet I wanted to be with _you_ and not him.'

'What?' He looked puzzled and then his eyes narrowed. 'Zed Benedict. I've seen the way he looks at you.' Lolly's eyebrows shot up in surprise beside me as she put the puzzle pieces together.

'It doesn't mean that we don't have a choice in this world, Sebastien.' He flinched at my use of his full name. 'There's always a _choice_ whether it's how to rule your country or who to choose to love. The point is that I was never going to be a part of that choice and I suppose that it's better I found out sooner rather than later or I would have been even more hurt than I was.' I frowned at him. 'And just so you know, you said you didn't want to ruin our friendship. Well I'm afraid you did, the day you broke your promise and hurt me.' I turned on my heels and marched off, Lolly following me and my brother rushing over.

'Sky, are you okay?' My brother asked.

'Damn girl, you are totally kickass.' Lolly said in surprise, a smile playing on her lips. 'I had no idea you had it in you.'

'What happened?'

'Your sister just put my brother completely in his place.'

I sucked in a deep breath and the room spinned. I leaned against the wallframe, wincing. My dress was far too tight.

'Sky, are you okay?' My stepmother was there too, looking at me with a concerned expression.

'I... I can't... breathe.' I gasped, holding my waist. 'I think this dress is too tight.'

'Phillip, take your sister up to her room. I think she's feeling unwell.'

I was relieved to be excused from the party and, after assuring Phillip I was fine, I called Lavine to undo my dress and I took off my tiara, unpinned my hair and changed into the comfort of my pyjamas, climbing into my bed. I laid down, focussing on my breathing and Lavine commented that the colour was returning to my cheeks.

'Are you okay, miss?' She asked. 'Can I get you anything? Do you need a doctor?'

'How did women wear those things all the time?' I asked and she laughed.

'I suppose you get used to it.' She picked up my dress and hung it up carefully. 'It looks awfully small though, miss, perhaps it was the wrong size. You've lost weight but not _that_ much. Did you have a fitting?'

'No I didn't.' I replied, pulling my phone out of my drawer. There was a text message from Zed.

 _Wow baby, you look gorgeous! That dress is more than alright. I wish I was there to keep you company xx_

I sighed and sent a reply. _Sebastien is here. I might have told him where to stick it. Dress too small, couldn't breathe so now lying in bed but kinda glad I got to be rude to the future King of Norway xx_

'Your highness, I heard that Prince Sebastien is here.' Lavine said, tidying away the hair and beauty products on my dresser. 'I hope he was pleasant to you.'

'I think I'm the one that was unpleasant.' I replied. 'I probably wasn't very ladylike so I can't imagine he'll be pleased. This might be the last time I'm welcome at the palace.'

'I doubt it, miss.' Lavine replied. 'The King and Queen are very fond of you. They were very upset that things did not work out between you and the Prince.'

'I was too.' I said, honestly, adjusting myself on the cushions. 'But I suppose happy endings are just in fairytales, aren't they?'

'Not at all.' She came and sat on the end of my bed. 'Fairytales are more than true. Not because they tell us dragons exist, but because they tell us that they can be beaten.' She gave a small smile. 'Perhaps, your highness, that the prince wasn't _your_ prince charming.'

'I'm not sure Prince charming even exists.' I sighed. 'Because so far I've had no luck.'

'Don't rush into love, miss. Remember that in fairytales the happy endings don't take place until the very last page.' She stood up and gave me a reassuring smile. 'Can I get you anything else, your highness?'

'No thank you, Lavine.' I replied as my phone buzzed. 'I think I might get some sleep.

She curtsied. 'Goodnight, miss.'

'Goodnight.'

She left the room, closing the door behind her and I turned off the lamp on the bedside table, nestling under the warm duvet covers.

 _I guess it's good I wasn't there or I might have punched him and then your father would have disliked me even more. It's a shame it's too small, you looked lovely in it, but then I think you'd look beautiful in a hesian sack. See you tomorrow xx_

Thankfully, after an awkward breakfast, we boarded our plane and headed back to England, much to my relief, and I relaxed when I saw Wilfred waiting for me at the terminal.

'A word.' My father said and I glanced at him in surprise as I followed him away from our security guards and away from the Queen and my brother.

'Yes father?'

'I don't believe that you were ill last night.' He said, simply.

'My chest hurt. From the dress.' I frowned.

'Or you're just too weak to be seen in front of Prince Sebastien.' His words were bitter and it took everything in me not to flinch. 'That's not the image I want of my family.' His eyes met mine and they looked cold. 'I want my family to be seen as strong and powerful, do you understand?'

'Of course.' My voice came out shakier than I wanted.

'Good.' He cracked his knuckles and I winced. 'Now put on a brave face and smile for the cameras, darling.'

Zed wanted to meet me when I got back to the boarding house, but I was far from the right mood. My father had upset me, so I'd simply changed into my pyjama shorts and a tank top and I'd gone to bed, ignoring the invite to hang out with the girls in Tina and Zoe's room.

The sunlight bled through our curtains the following morning and I realised that we hadn't closed the curtains properly. I opened my eyes with a squint, rolling over just as my alarm sounded, signalling that we needed to get up and get ready for school. Lucy groaned across the room from me as I grabbed my clean uniform and took it down to the showers with me. I stripped in my cubicle and relaxed at the feeling of the warm water on my body, trying not to think of my father's words and cold stare that had haunted my dreams.

'It's so hard finding a nice prom dress. Princess Sky is _so_ lucky. Everyone is dying to make her a dress and she always has beautiful dresses.' A female voice I didn't recognise was saying.

'I know, I'd love her wardrobe!' Another girl was saying.

I blushed at the girls talking about me. It was kind of off-putting when I was showering. But at least they were saying nice things.

'Izzy, Margot, are you guys nearly ready for breakfast?' The door had been opened and there was another voice.

'Coming!'

And then I was alone again and the idea hit me; in my wardrobes hung beautiful ballgowns of different styles. And Nina had said I couldn't wear them again. I needed to be seen wearing new designs, new creations, new fashions. So why not sell them on? I could sell them and raise money for charity... I smiled to myself as I rinsed out my shampoo. That was one way to raise money and I knew just what I wanted to do with it.

I'd already raised enough for the riding centre to be upgraded and wealthy benefactors were keeping the funding going on a monthly basis too. But there were more people I wanted to help and I thought in particular of the girls at the children's home in Oslo. If Seb and I had still been together, I would have joined the cause, but it was no longer my place and it was his city. So, instead of tucking in at lunchtime, I headed to the library and did some research for myself. England didn't have orphanages, but they did have a lot of children's homes, a lot which needed funding and support. I nibbled on my sandwich as I sat at the back of the library, using google as my guide and opening websites of different children's homes that weren't too hard to get to. Most looked nice and updated, but then there was one that caught my eye and I knew I wanted to help. Oak Tree House was the only children's home in London that was for teenagers and perhaps that's why it pulled at my heart strings. It housed 10 children from ages 14 to 18 at a time with 3 single bedsits for older children and 7 individual bedrooms. As I looked at the pictures one thing went through my mind; if it wasn't for Sally and Simon, this would be me. Oak Tree House had recently been doing some fundraising, wanting to give the place a decorate inside so that it appeared 'cool' to the residents, but the Justgiving page wasn't looking great and I felt sad. Those teenagers deserved to feel at home, to feel safe, just like I'd been lucky enough to do. The school bell rang and I quickly scribbled down the phone number, promising that I'd get Nina (as all 'business' calls had to go through her) to make a phonecall that afternoon.

My phone rang as I left my final lesson and I didn't hesitate to answer it. 'Hello?'

'Your highness, I hope you have had a good day.' Nina.

'Yes thank you.'

'I've spoken to your father. He believes working for Oak Tree House would be good for your image.' I frowned. That wasn't why I was doing it. 'And I've spoken to them... they were very surprised but they'd like you to visit after school tomorrow if you're available. The owner, Josie, said that they're trying to undergo some changes and renovations so seeing you sooner might be more of a help.'

'Of course. I'm available.' I replied. We had very little homework being set anyway and the only day I had plans was Saturday; prom dress shopping.

'I'll call her and let her know and I'll come with Wilfred and the car for when you finish your Science lesson.'

'Sky!' Zed's voice caught me by surprise as I walked back towards the library, holding books in front of my chest. 'Hey.' He said as I stopped and turned towards him.

'Hey.' I replied with a small smile. 'You alright?'

'Yeah, you?'

'Yeah.'

'Studying?'

'I need to return these to the library.' I replied. 'Completely forgot they were in my room.'

'Allow me.' He held out his arms and I passed him one. 'I'm a gentleman. Hand them all over.' I wasn't going to complain. I passed him the books and he held them with ease, his muscles showing through the tight rolled-up sleeves of his school shirt, as we moved back into a slow walk towards the library.

'Thanks.' I said with a shy smile.

'You're welcome.' His smile was more courageous as he looked at me, his eyes meeting mine and almost drawing me towards him. 'Are you free tomorrow after school? I thought maybe we could hang out.'

'Sorry.' I apologised. 'I've got plans. Princess duties.'

'Oh?' He raised his eyebrows.

'I'm going to a children's home for teenagers just outside of Kensington... they need some fundraising and rennovations done and I want to help... now that riding centre is up and running.' I bit my lip. 'I wanted to help children at first but then I thought about the teenagers and well... I suppose if it hadn't been for Sally and Simon I would have been one of them.' I shuddered at the thought. 'Despite everything... I was very lucky.'

He nodded. 'You are. Sally and Simon are great.'

'Absolutely.' I smiled, my smile widening this time. 'They've done a lot for me and they've always been patient and supportive. I really need to make the effort to see them more.'

'I'm sure they'd like that.'

'I was thinking of going there to get ready for prom, you know? And inviting the girls over too to get ready with me. We'd have more room then in the boarding house and photos in the garden would look lovely.' We reached the library and Zed gave me a nervous smile as he allowed me to walk in first. I held the door for him and the books and he followed me inside. 'Zed, are you okay?'

'Sure.' He nodded, but I could tell something was on his mind.

Yves and Zed weren't in school the next day and he hadn't sent me his usual "good morning" text either or anything to be honest. It was weird not hearing from him, but I tried to ignore the fact as I changed out of my uniform quickly and into jeans and a plaid shirt that I knew Nina would hate; but I didn't want to dress in my designer clothes in front of the teenagers I was visiting. To me, that would be rude and rubbing my 'wealth' in their faces. I let my hair fall loose around my shoulders, slipped on my converse and applied some make-up and then it was time to go.

'Your highness... your outfit...' Nina said as I walked across the driveway towards the car. She curtsied but gave me a disapproving look.

'I can't rub my designer clothes in their faces.' I told her simply as Wilfred opened the door for me.

'Good afternoon your highness.' He smiled in greeting, ignoring Nina's remark. 'I personally think that blue plaid suits you.'

'Thank you Wilfred.' I smiled and looked over at Nina, who resisted rolling her eyes as she mumbled something about Lady Clarence.

'Well,' Nina said, 'I suppose we'd better get going if we're going to be back in time for your dinner.'

The drive to Oak Tree House didn't take long and I felt nervous when we pulled into the car park. As I got out of the car and looked up at the building, my two members of security moving to stand beside me and Nina too, I couldn't help but think of the potential. The building was modern with big windows so I knew inside would be light and homely. But then, inside was another story.

I was greeted by Josie, a carer and the 'manager'/owner of Oak Tree House and she walked out onto the patio to greet us, curtsying to me until I stopped her doing so.

'There's no need for that, honestly.' I told her with a smile. 'I can't stand the formalities.'

'Of course.' She gave a nervous smile, a reflection of me, as she tucked a stand of blonde and silver hair behind her ear. 'It's lovely to meet you though, your... highness.'

'Just call me Sky.' I said as I shook her hand. 'That's more than enough.'

'Sky.' She nodded.

'And this is Nina, my assistant.' I introduced my assistant, who looked formal in her skirt suit.

'We spoke on the phone.' Josie said, shaking her hand. Her eyes flicked to my security.

'Don't mind Martin and Joe.' I told her. 'They're going to wait out here.' Martin knew better than to argue. He simply nodded and they moved to the side of the door, almost guarding it.

'Well then I suppose you'd better come inside.' Josie said. I followed her into the lobby area and then she led me into the living room, where two teenage girls of about fourteen were sat watching the television. They glanced over at me, shy smiles on their faces, as I took in the living room. The antique rug was worn, the velvet sofas worn too and then the television was the modern highlight. Books were tucked into mismatched shelf-units and there was a computer tucked in the corner. 'This is the living room.' Josie explained. 'It's quite small, but the bedrooms were our priority here really. Girls, this is Sky. Remember I said she was coming?' The girls simply nodded. 'Sky, these are two of our residents, Evee and Lola.'

'Hello.' I said in greeting with a smile, hoping I didn't sound too posh or formal.

'Hello.' They chorused, their voices quiet and nervous. Their eyes flicked back to the television and I recognised the Vampire Diaries.

'I love this programme.' I told them. 'Team Damon or Team Stefan?'

They looked back at me in surprise. 'Team Damon.' The red head said.

'Team Stefan.' The brunette said. She gave me a half-smile. 'You?'

'Damon I'm afraid.' I laughed. 'But my friends like Stefan.'

'But Damon is such a bad boy.' Brunette girl, Lola, wrinkled her nose. 'Why do girls always go for bad boys?' It was a good question, but I realised I myself was kind of dating a bad boy.

'No idea.' I shrugged. 'He's got nice eyes though.'

'Yes.' Red head, Evee, sighed, dreamily.

We met a few other residents on the way around; two girls about my age and three boys aged between fourteen and seventeen, that were playing an intense table football game in the 'games den'. The house was large and spread out and I thought the same as Josie showed us the bedrooms and then the bedsits that were for the older teenagers. It had so much potential, but it looked tired and basic and everywhere had the same wooden floors and white walls that the house probably had been given when it was originally a showhome. Josie introduced me to the three other members of staff onsight at the time and they were all friendly, but each one highlighted the need for an update, a change to make the place feel more like home. We were sat in the dining room, discussing what needed doing when a girl walked into the dining room, her jeans ripped and her knees bloody.

'Phoenix, what happened?!' Josie gasped.

The girl looked a similar age to me, but she looked tired, bags under her eyes. Her hair was dark, in a jagged, uneven, long haircut and her deep blue eyes, slightly darker than mine, contrasting with her olive-coloured skin **(AN: I imagine her to look like Chrissy Costanza, only with blue eyes and atm her hair is long and uneven)**. She wrapped her thin arms around herself, almost in protection. 'Nothing.' She said, simply. It was a lie. I knew that and I could feel it. Her eyes looked at me. 'Who are you?'

'Phoenix!' Josie said in a disapproving tone. 'This is Princess Sky. Remember, I said at dinner last night that she was coming.'

'Oh. Yeah.' She looked at me with an unreadable expression, but the aura around her showed she was tense. Uptight.

'Let me clean up your legs.' Josie stood up and gave me an apologetic look but I simply smiled. 'I'll get the first aid kit.' She dipped out of the room and Nina gave Phoenix disapproving looks from behind her.

'Nina?'

'Yes your highness?'

'Could you wait for me in the car please?' It was more a command than a question and, despite her frown, she understood perfectly. She nodded, curtsying before leaving the room.

Phoenix wrinkled her nose. 'Does she always do that?'

'Most people do.' I replied with a shrug.

'Sheesh. It's totally weird.' She rubbed her forehead as she sat down in the furthest chair away from me.

'I know.'

She looked a little surprised that I'd said that and she gave me almost a flicker of a smile as Josie returned with the first aid kit. She tried to fuss over Phoenix but she simply took the first aid kit from her carer and frowned. 'Josie, I can do it. I'm eighteen now, remember?'

'I'm trying to help.' Josie's voice was strained and I knew that her job wasn't easy. It couldn't be. She shot me another apologetic look. 'I'm sorry, you probably need to head off.'

'It's okay.' I said but my stomach growled and I blushed with embarassment.

Josie pushed the first-aid kit away from her. 'Where were you, Phoenix? I was starting to get worried. You can't just come and go as you please. This is your home.'

'It sure doesn't look like a home.' Was the response she got and my heart ached for her.

'I hope you didn't get into trouble again. I don't want the police banging on the door.'

'Well it's lucky you're kicking me out in a month then, isn't it?' Phoenix's voice was bitter and made me flinch.

'I'm going to find you somewhere to go. A bedsit somewhere. I promised you that, remember?'

'Right.' Phoenix stood up, hands on hips. 'I don't want dinner. See you later.' And she stormed out.

'I'm sorry, Sky.' Josie apologised, her brow furrowed. 'We have a lot of children from difficult backgrounds.'

'I understand.' And I did. 'I came from a tough place too.'

She gave a small smile. 'I'd understand if Phoenix's behaviour put you off. It holds back a lot of benefactors... you know, hearing about the trouble some of the kids get themselves into.'

'Not at all.' I said. 'If anything, it makes me want to help more. What can I do?'

'We've got some money to rennovate but I just haven't had the time to do it and then there's paying for decorators to come in... it's all going to be pretty costly.'

'Then I'll help.' I smiled at her from my place across the table. 'I have to go now but I could come back tomorrow and we could chat to everyone, see what they want and go from there?'

'Thank you. So much.'

'You're welcome.'

I knew I was doing the right thing, even though I caught Phoenix's glare through the window as I got into my car ready to head back to school.


	37. Everything will be alright

There was still no sign of the Benedict brothers the following day, but I returned to Oak Tree House and spoke to the residents. I also put most of my ballgowns onto eBay, with help from Nina, setting up an account that would pay directly into Oak Tree House's fund. With help from the teenage residents and Josie, we chose some paint colours and wallpaper designs for each of the room and we started cutting up magazines with furniture and decor we liked for the communal rooms, whilst I wondered why Zed seemed to have fallen off the face of the Earth, not even responding to the telepathic messages I'd sent him. I knew Nate and Zack would soon be panicking about this too; it was their album launch party on Friday and he was going to need to be there, seeing as he was a third of _Seven Minutes in Heaven._ I left Oak Tree House late that evening, grabbing a takeout on the way home and eating it in the car before I got back to school. I got back to my dorm just as another car pulled up and I glanced at it in surprise. It was Zed and Yves, being dropped off by someone I could only assume was another Benedict brother- he had the same colouring and hair colour, he just looked older.

'Anything else your highness?' Wilfred asked.

'No thank you.' I replied with a smile. 'Thanks for driving me.'

'Anytime.' His old smile was warm and kind. 'Perhaps we can have another driving lesson soon?'

'Definitely.' It was more relaxing driving with him than Marcus. 'I'd like that.'

'Have a good week.' He bowed and got back into the car as I watched three of the Benedict brothers having a conversation. Yves pushed his glasses up his nose as he listened to something the older brother was saying and Zed was frowning. The oldest brother patted them each on the back and got back into the car, speeding away behind Wilfred. Yves and Zed turned, spotting me and Yves excused himself, walking off towards their boarding house, as Zed walked over to me. In his black skinny jeans and tight black t-shirt, he looked damn good, but my smile faded when I saw his tired face.

'Zed? What happened?' I asked, my eyes meeting his bloodshot ones. He pinched his nose.

'I'm okay.' He gave me a lopsided smile, but it was fake.

'You're a liar.' I said. 'I know something happened. You didn't reply to me or you were ignoring me.' I folded my arms across my chest.

'Sorry.' He apologised, running his hand through his hair. 'We could go for a walk and talk about it?' He looked at my guards, who were watching him with caution.

I frowned at Martin. He knew Zed well enough to know he wouldn't cause trouble. 'I don't want to be able to see either of you, okay? Out of sight, out of mind.'

'Yes your highness.' Martin nodded and Zed and I started walking towards the lake, side-by-side. I wanted to reach out, to hold his hand, but people at school didn't know we were dating and if they did, it wasn't anything official.

I loved the long summer evenings in June and July. The sun was still in the sky, beaming down on us and it reflected off the lake, almost making it glitter. The air felt cooler as we reached the trees and I wrapped my arms around myself as we found a spot to sit by the lake. I sat down beside Zed in silence and he looked lost in his thoughts until he yawned and stretched.

'You look really tired.' I said, softly. 'I should've let you go to bed.'

'I wanted to see you.' He smiled at me, this time a real smile, and his hand reached for mine, our fingers intertwining as he pulled my hand onto his lap.

'Zed, what happened?' I asked, softly. 'You were gone two days and now you're _exhausted.'_

'There's some stuff about my family that I've never told you.' He said, before hesitating. He was nervous. 'And I'm not sure how you'll be about it.'

'You're not some crazy serial killers are you?' I joked and he frowned.

'Of course not.' He looked out at the lake. 'My brother, Victor, works for the Secret Service, but you know that already.' I nodded. I'd met him once before, after I'd been kidnapped. 'Well he and the rest of our family are part of something called the Savant Net.'

'Savant Net?' I raised an eyebrow.

'It's a worldwide organisation made up of savants, who work to keep the world at peace from savants using their powers for evil purposes.'

'So like superheroes against villains?'

'I suppose.' He gave a lopsided smile. 'We're the good guys.'

'And do you ever have to fight anyone?' I was curious now, but also worried. For his safety.

'Yeah.' He nodded. 'Sometimes we have to so that we can make arrests. There are special prisons for savants because of their powers and it's hard to arrest them. That's why, if there's a big case, Victor gets all of us involved. Nine Benedicts against a few bad guys is easy. Especially when you combine all of our abilities.'

'So that's where you've been.' I bit my lip. 'Are you hurt?'

'No, just tired.' He squeezed my hand. 'You don't need to worry about me. My family are pretty kick-ass.'

'Did you catch the bad guys?'

'One.' He frowned. 'There's a group of them calling themselves The Community. We think there's a ringleader but we've not seen him yet. Although we did catch a guy today who can suck years from people's lives so that was something. I think we would've caught another yesterday, but some girl slowed time down and they got away. But it's up to Victor and his team now, Yves and I can't miss loads of school and we're pretty worn out.'

'Zed?'

'Yeah?'

'What's Yves' ability?'

He smiled. 'Well he might be a brainiac but he's pretty dangerous too. He can manipulate fire.'

'What do you mean?' I wrinkled my nose.

'He can set things on fire, make fire just appear. Pretty crazy, huh?'

I blinked. 'Yeah. Can he control it?'

'Have you ever seen it?'

'Fair point.' I looked back at the lake as Zed's thumb gently caressed the back of my hand. 'I love these long days.'

'Me too.' He said in agreement. 'A week and a half until the summer really begins.'

'We have prom first.'

'We do.' He nodded. 'But our album launch is this week. I don't suppose you want to come? Lucy's coming and I've invited Nelson, Tina and Zoe too.'

'Sure.' I replied and he pulled me up to my feet, wrapping his arm gently around my waist.

'I've missed you and I've missed this.' He bent his head towards mine, kissing me softly as he cupped my cheek with his hand. The kiss only lasted for a moment and then he was resting his forehead against mine, looking into my eyes. 'Sky?'

'Yes?'

'Will you... will you go to prom with me? As my date?' He sounded nervous as he whispered it and his eyes and aura showed he was feeling hopeful.

I smiled, before whispering my response. 'Of course.' And then I closed the gap between our lips again.

The album launch party was being held at some swanky hotel in centre London on Friday and the girls, plus Nelson, headed to my Kensington apartment with me as soon as school was over, armed with our overnight bags and we tucked into the spaghetti bolognese that was waiting for us before Nelson disappeared to the guest room so that we could all change and get ready in my bedroom in privacy. The theme for the evening for us had ended up as festival fashion, as it was fairly warm out and leather-look leggings were going to be too toasty. Tina looked fabulous in floral print trousers and a white crop top, Zoe wore a floral maxi dress with cut-out sides and Lucy looked cute in her coral playsuit with kimono. I took a risk. My light pink, high-waisted floral skirt reached my knees and I'd paired it with an off-the-shoulder white top, showing a fraction of bare skin on my waist but hopefully not enough to get into trouble with my father. The outfit looked cute with the stiletto sandals on my feet and my matching clutchbag, and I was pleased with the waterfall braid in my hair.

'So how's things with you and Zed?' Tina asked as I applied a little lipstick, adding a bit of subtle colour to my lips.

'Okay.' I blushed, matching my lipstick.

'More than okay.' Lucy grinned from across the room. 'I'm surprised you two aren't official yet.'

'We're taking it slow.' And I didn't want anyone to think I was jumping from guy to guy. Plus, I wasn't sure how my father would be about the situation. I didn't want to care how he would feel. But I was afraid of him. He was powerful, more so because he was a savant.

'Did he ask you to prom?' Zoe asked.

Ah. I'd forgotten to mention that part. 'Yes.'

'Eeek! So exciting! _Zed Benedict_ wants to take you to prom!' Zoe beamed as my cheeks continued to blush.

'Enough about that.' I said, dismissing them. 'We've got to go or we're going to be more than fashionably late.'

The Golden Leaf was a rooftop bar on top of one of the modern four-star hotels in London, over-looking the Thames near Waterloo. After posing for photos on the red carpet on the way in, we took the lift to the top floor and I felt like I'd stepped into some super hip bar or club, one that I was a year too young to be in. The bar, with its glass walls looking out at the London skyline, was made up of a large bar lit with lights of different shapes and sizes. There were high tables scattered around, with golden bar stools, and the screens were showing pictures of the boys as _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ songs played out of the speakers. Through the large, glass doors there seemed to be a terrace and the Nelson practically dragged us outside, taking in the view; the wooden decking, the fire pit and heaters, an outdoor bar, comfy booths, fairylights and then the dramatic London Skyline, with Big Ben and Houses of Parliament visible, and the London Eye, the Shard and St Paul's in the distance.

'Holy crap.' Tina whispered from beside me.

'So freakin' cool.' Nelson said in agreement as _She's Kinda Hot_ played through the outdoor speakers.

'Sky?!' I recognised the American voice, the twang of a Pennysylvanian accent. I turned in the direction of Taylor Swift, who looked glamorous as always in a co-ord crop top and shorts set, showing off her extremely long legs.

'Taylor, hey.' I said with a smile as she pulled me into a hug, bending down to do so. I felt tiny, even with my pink heels on.

'How are you?' She asked. 'It's been ages.'

'I'm fine.' I smiled. 'Doing alright. You?'

'I'm good.' She nodded. 'I heard about you and Sebastien. And I heard about your operation.'

'Yeah, but what's done is done.' I shrugged. 'I didn't think you'd be here.'

'Same label.' She smiled and I felt a little stupid for not knowing that. 'And you're here because of Zed, hmm?' She teased and I blushed.

'I go to school with the whole band.' I said and she raised her eyebrows.

'She's in denial.' Lucy said from beside me, winking. I elbowed her in the ribs. 'I'll get us a drink.'

The launch party was crawling with members of the press, who were interviewing guests and artists, as well as capturing the evening with photographs, a lot of which I was sure I was in. Celebrities mingled, talking to each other and listening to the music, and then there were the five fans that had won the experience, who stared longily at the boys as they moved their way around the guests. I sipped at my mocktail as I spotted the Benedict clan. All of them. Butterflies danced around my stomach as Karla waved at me. I'd been spotted too. I turned to my friends. 'I'll be right back.'

Nervously, I walked over to the other side of the outdoor terrace, where eight of the Benedict family stood, talking.

'Hello Sky.' Karla said in greeting, surprising me by hugging me and kissing me on the cheek.

'Hello.' I replied and Saul pulled me into a hug toom, also kissing my cheek.

'How are you?' He asked, cheerily.

'Fine thank you.' I said, formally. 'Yourselves?'

'We're well.' Karla smiled. 'It's good to see you.'

'Zed not scared you off yet, huh?' Xavier appeared behind his dad, his cheeky grin on his face. 'Surprising really after singing to you and then turning up unannounced at the palace. My brother has a death wish.'

'Xav.' Saul's tone was a warning and the other sons glanced my way, including the ones I'd never met before. 'I do apologise, Sky. This is the problem when you have so many sons. They all decide to wind each other up.

'Sky, this is Trace, Uriel and Will. And of course you already know Victor, Xavier and Yves.' Karla introduced me and I smiled as I shook the hands of the remaining brothers I'd never met.

'So you're Zed's latest love interest?' Uriel said, interesting and Saul frowned at him. I wondered if he knew that there was more to it than that.

'Ignore him, Sky. Ignore them all.' Yves said with the familiar friendly smile I was used to.

'Oh god, why are you talking to Sky?' Zed's voice surprised me and I turned to see him. He smiled down at me, his eyes softening as he looked into mine, but he still looked nervous.

'We're just telling her mortifying stories from your childhood.' Xav replied and Zed winced.

'They weren't.' I told him and he relaxed a little, his eyes not leaving mine.

 _Hey beautiful._

 _Hey yourself._ I blushed at the compliment and he smiled. _Apparently I'm your new love interest._

He frowned. _Who?_ I bit my lip, not responding. 'Who said that Sky is my _latest_ love interest?' The air felt awkward and then Xav pointed to Uriel, who had the signature cheeky Benedict smile on his face. 'Uriel, really?'

'It was a joke, man.' Uriel shrugged. 'It's not my fault you have a lot of love interests.'

Zed was angry. I could feel the anger practically radiating off of him. 'This is different, idiot. Sky is my _soulfinder._ ' The words were out and I fiddled with my fingers as it became clear just who knew this news and who didn't, from the surprised faces and the jealous auras. Jealous that they hadn't found their soulfinder, but their youngest brother had without even looking. Then, just like that, the jealousy was gone and the brothers were smiling at me. I blushed.

'Pretty unfortunate for you, Sky, having Zed here as a soulfinder.' Will commented and a guy from Zed's record label approached, introducing himself and returning the topic to one more suitable for human ears.

 _Sky are you still awake?_

Zed's voice took me surprise as I laid in my double bed in my Kensington apartment, Lucy asleep beside me and Tina and Zoe on the sofa bed, snoring softly. I rolled over, facing away from my friend as if she could hear our conversation. _Yes._

 _Can't sleep?_

 _No._ My brow furrowed. _No idea why, though. My body is so tired._

 _Nervous?_

 _A little._ I was going to start painting and redecorating Oak Tree House the following day. We'd planned to get the communal areas sorted, as the new furniture was set to arrive on Monday, so we were going to paper and paint the walls with help from my girl friends, who were staying with me for the weekend; we had plans to go prom-dress shopping on Sunday.

 _Want me to come tomorrow?_ I thought for a moment. Sure, it would be great to have his company, but then I wasn't sure if the teenage girls would cope.

 _It's okay, I think we've got it covered but thank you._

He was quiet for a moment and I wondered what he was thinking, from his hotel room across the city. _Sorry I told my family you were my soulfinder. I just wanted them to know._

 _It's okay, they would have found out sooner or later._ I yawned, feeling a little tired, as I closed my eyes.

 _I really wanted to wrap my arms around you. To kiss you and tell you just how beautiful you are._

And at some point after that, I must have fallen asleep.

My alarm was an unwelcome sound that morning and my friends and I groaned in unison as I felt for my phone, turning off the piercing sound. It was a Saturday. I should have been having a lie-in. But we had more important things to do. We had breakfast, showered and dressed (and I threw on my short dungarees that would make Nina cringe) and we were out the door and off to Oak Tree House. It looked somewhat miserable in the July rainshower, but I reminded myself that today we were going to change that. Today we were going to start the make-over process, to make it feel more like home to the teenagers that lived there. We greeted Josie and got to work straight away, some of the residents coming to help us paint the living room walls and add the wallpaper to the 'statement' wall. But there was no Phoenix. We worked hard through the morning, before moving onto the dining room and then the games room that afternoon.

'Oh my god, the _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ album is on spotify!' Lola squealed as she turned up the volume on her phone, Zed's voice blaring out of it. It was just as well I'd turned down Zed's offer of help. Lucy beamed at me from across the room.

'Look, they've posted the pictures from their album party last night!' Evee said from her mobile. I mouthed an 'uh oh' at my friends and they smiled as I moved the paint roller up and down the wall, covering the last of the white. Lola and Evee sat cross-legged on the floor together and then came the squeal.

'Sky!' Lola's voice was high-pitched. 'You all went to their party?!'

'Yeah we did.' I replied, stifling a giggle at their reaction.

'But how?! Are you guys like friends?!' They clearly didn't follow me on Instagram. They clearly hadn't seen the countless selfies over the past six or so months, which had the guys in them.

'Yeah we are.' Tina said on my behalf. 'We go to school with them.'

'No way!' I winced at Evee's squeal. Typical teenage girls.

'Girls, instead of squealing at our guests, you could help them paint.' Josie said, sternly, from the doorway.

'No need.' I turned around, wiping my hands on an old rag. 'It's all done.' Josie inspected the walls and smiled as she carefully walked onto the dustsheet.

'I like the colour.' She commented, admiring the light blue paint. 'It's lovely.'

'Josie, Sky knows _Seven Minutes in Heaven_!' Evee said excitedly.

'That's... nice.' Josie looked amused as she walked around the room, checking every corner was covered. 'Are you sure you girls haven't done this before?'

'Nope.' Lucy popped the 'p'. 'There's a first time for everything.'

That's when Phoenix appeared up the corridor, soaking wet and muddy, her jagged haircut hung over her face and her make-up smudged. She looked tired and her exhausted expression reminded me of Zed a few days previously. Without a word, she turned on her heels and ran up the stairs and out of sight.

I slept a lot better that night, probably from all of the decorating, and I felt fresh when I woke up on Sunday morning before my girl friends. I showered and got dressed, grabbing my phone and walking downstairs, turning on the small television as I grabbed bacon and eggs for breakfast. I was surprised to see _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ on the Breakfast Show. Zed hadn't mentionned that. Lucy hadn't either.

'Welcome back. We're joined this morning by teen hearthrobs _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ who have just released their album _Don't Stop.'_ Phillipa Smith, the host, was saying from her space on the sofa. My eyes skimmed over Zed. He looked really hot in his black skinny jeans and a printed vest, his chest muscles and biceps on show. 'Welcome to the show guys.'

'Thanks for having us.' Nate replied in his polite, gentleman-like fashion.

'So your album was released yesterday and it's already Number 1 on iTunes. How do you feel about that?'

'It's awesome!' Zed said in his husky, velvety voice that made girls scream. The one that made my knees weak. I was as bad as the fans. 'Thank you to everyone who has already bought a copy.'

'It means a lot.' Nate added.

'Oh boy.' Lucy's voice sighed from behind me and I turned to face her. ' _Our_ boys are looking cute this morning.'

'Agreed.' I told her as she came to stand beside me.

'Have I missed anything?'

No they've just come on.'

'Oh, it's great having an album out and our tour was amazing. We met so many cool people and it's awesome when everyone is dancing to yours songs, you know?' Zack was saying.

'Sounds like you really enjoy what you do.' Phillipa said with a smile. She crossed her legs and placed her hands in her lap. 'Who writes most of the songs?' Zack and Nate pointed at Zed.

'Yeah it's mainly me, but these guys do pitch in too.' Zed admitted with his lopsided smile.

'And are they based on real events? There's a lot of songs about girls.'

'There are.' He nodded. 'And some, in some ways, are linked to real stuff that's happened I guess.'

'So are there any special girls in your lives?'

'Zed's mum.' Zack said and everyone laughed. 'Mrs Benedict is awesome. She's like mum to us all.'

'What about Princess Sky?' Phillipa asked and I cursed under my breath, wanting the ground to swallow me whole. I dropped the egg I was holding and it fell onto the floor, cracking.

Zed, however, looked calm and collected. 'Sky is a good friend.'

'A friend you jumped in front of a bullet for.' Phillipa pushed and Zed absentmindedly rubbed the scar on his arm. 'And a friend that you serenaded. We've all seen that video.'

Now he looked a little shy and he ran his hand through his messy hair, showing that much. Cocky personna was gone and now the _real_ Zed was onscreen. 'Sky's great.' He said, simply. 'But she's not easily impressed.'

'Even if you are a talented, good-looking singer-songwriter? I bet girls fall at your feet all of the time.'

'Maybe.' He shrugged. 'But it has to be the _right_ girl.'

'We're going to break now.' Phillipa said. 'Thank you so much for joining me today _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ and I hope to have you back soon. Coming up after the break...'

Lucy turned off the television and I bent down to clean up the egg mess on the floor. 'Well their manager isn't going to like that.' She said, bending down to help me.

'I can't believe he said I'm not easily impressed.'

'Well you're not.' We both stood back up, throwing the gooey towels and shells into the bin.

'I don't want to rush things and I'm scared after last time.'

'Completely understandable.' She nodded. 'But hey, at least you're _the right girl_ , huh? There's at least a 90 percent chance he meant you.'

More like a 99.9 percent. She didn't know that we were soulfinders. That fate and genetics had planned for us to be together. That we shared powers, abilities, with each other. And that was something she and my other friends were never going to understand.

Our final four (and a half) days at school passed by quickly and evenings were mostly spent packing up belongings ready for moving out on the Monday afternoon. Even if you were returning to school in September, pupils would be moving rooms, so we spent our time preparing for whichever new room we would be given. All we knew was that it would be in the other boarding house and senior rooms were usually on the ground floor. I was thankful when lunchtime rolled around on Friday and we didn't hang about; the girls and I grabbed our dress bags containing our prom dresses, grabbed our shoes and other belongings, and we got into Sally's car, which was already waiting for us.

'Are you excited about tonight girls?' Sally asked as she drove along the quiet lane towards the centre of Kingston-Upon-Thames, where she and Simon lived.

'Yes!' Zoe and Tina chorused.

'What time is the limo coming?'

'The boys said about seven.' Lucy replied from the backseat. 'I think we'll have some time for photos.'

'Good.' Sally smiled. 'I want to take lots of photos and if it stays sunny we can take some pictures in the garden.'

'Sounds great!' Tina said.

'You're quiet, sweetheart.' Sally's voice was soft and I looked over at her. 'Are you not looking forward to tonight?'

'I am.' I smiled. 'I just want everything to go to plan.'

'Why wouldn't it?' She said, trying to sound reassuring, but all I could think of was what had happened at the last balls I'd been to at school; I'd gone to one with Seb and the other, Marcus had dumped me.

'What if Zed doesn't turn up? Or decides he doesn't want to be my date?'

'You're worrying for no reason.' Lucy said, squeezing my shoulder. 'Zed is completely crazy in love with you. You have _nothing_ to worry about.'

We had lunch with Sally in the garden, sitting out in the sunlight, and then my hairdressers and beauticians from the palace turned up, much to my surprise. I was even more surprised to see that Queen Roseanna had turned up with them and I think Sally almost panicked, probably wondering if the house was clean or tidy enough for the Queen's visit.

'Your majesty, what are you doing here?' I asked in shock from where she stood beside my two guards and two of hers.

'I wanted to see you on your special day.' She replied with a friendly smile. 'I hope that's okay Sally. I know I should've called.'

'Don't be silly.' Sally replied. 'Of course it's okay. Come on in and I can make you some tea whilst the girls get ready?'

'That would be lovely?'

I was still in shock as the team pinned my hair into rollers and started on my nails and make-up, one member assigning themselves to each of my friends so that we would all look equally glamorous.

'It's nice of Roseanna to come and see you.' Lucy said from next to me in the conservatory. I squinted at the sunlight pouring in as a manicure was painted carefully onto my shaped nails.

'It was.' I said in agreement. 'I'm surprised though.'

'Why? She sees you as a daughter.'

'I suppose.'

It took two and a half hours in total, with dinner in between, to get completely ready for prom. We'd all had our nails, hair and make-up done and as it reached six-thirty I started to feel even more nervous. Before emerging from the bathroom, I checked my shoes were fastened and gave my outfit a onceover. I hoped Zed would like it. I wore a navy blue dress that fell above the knee (as only senior girls were allowed to wear full-length dresses for prom) in a tulle skirt. The top part was tight-fitting and a halterneck, with little sparkly beads sewn onto it and it fell at the back, leaving my back bare until the waist. It meant I'd not worn a bra, only the built-in padding, and that made me feel nervous in itself. I'd paired the look with some comfy silver strappy heels and some dangly silver diamond earrings. My hair was in a half-updo, clasped at the back with a clip I'd borrowed from my collection at the palace. It felt perfect and looked perfect, but would Zed like it?

The girls and I walked down the stairs, one after the other, and Sally gasped at the bottom, almost blubbering from her spot next to Simon and next to Roseanna. We reached the bottom and Sally hugged me.

'Sky, sweetheart, you look beautiful.' She sniffed. 'So grown-up.'

'Don't cry on me now, Sally.' I laughed and then I hugged Simon, who kissed me on the cheek.

'Very grown-up.' He agreed with a smile. 'We're so proud of you.'

I felt for Roseanna, who just stood there smiling proudly. I reached her and she hugged me too. 'A vision.' She said simply and I blushed at the compliment.

'Shall we take some photos in the garden?' Tina asked, interrupting the emotional hugging session.

Simon nodded. 'Sure.'

Simon had studied art and photography his whole life, so he treated the photo session more like a photoshoot. He directed us, telling us how to pose in a line and then he took individual shots of us by the flowers. I had some photos taken with just Lucy, arms linked and back-to-back, hands on hips and then hugging each other. We even had pictures of the four of us twirling, our skirts moving outwards. Then the doorbell rang and I knew it had to be seven. My heart flipped in my chest and Lucy squeezed my hand as Sally went to answer the door. She returned a moment later with the boys in tow; Yves, Nelson, Zack, Nate and then Zed. My breath caught in my throat as his mouth opened and his eyes met mine as the 'o' shape turned into a smile. He looked amazing in a navy suit and tie that matched my dress, a bouquet of pretty white and light blue flowers in his hand.

 _Wow Sky._ He said in my head and I blushed as he walked towards me. 'You really are the most beautiful girl in the world.' He said, quietly, as he reached me and gently kissed my cheek. He passed me some flowers. 'These are for you.'

'Thank you, they're lovely.' I replied with a shy smile, aware that Sally and Simon, and probably Roseanna too, were watching. 'Nice suit.'

'Thanks.' He grinned at me. 'My spy told me you were wearing navy blue.'

'A brunette spy wearing pink, might I ask?' I looked over at Lucy, who was hugging Nate.

'Perhaps.'

'Okay, let's get some photos before you head off.' Simon called out, interrupting the greetings. We posed for some group shots and then he took some pictures of Nate and Lucy together, before turning to Zed and I. 'Your turn!' He said, cheerily and I blushed, feeling embarassed. 'Don't blush, sweetheart.'

'I'm blushing because you're like some crazy paparazzi.'

'I want to remember your first prom.' He said, simply, as Zed walked behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. 'Sky, sweetie, smile.'

 _If you don't smile, I might have to tickle you or tell you a really bad joke._ Zed's voice filled my mind and I found myself smiling as I replied.

 _No tickling and no jokes, please!_

'Lovely.' Simon said, happily. Let's try some more in some other poses. He then, thankfully, stopped and took some photos of the guys before Nelson and Yves moved out of the way, letting _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ have a picture. They took off their jackets, hanging them over their shoulders as they posed and Lucy and I giggled as I snapped a photo of them, before uploading it to Instagram.

 _#heartthrobs zedbenedict heyitsnate drummerzack_

Lucy read the caption and laughed beside me. 'You're responsible for the heartattacks of several thousand girls right now.'

'Less competition, huh?'

Prom wasn't at school like the other dances had been, because this was seen as a bigger deal. Instead, it was at a georgian country house a mile down the road from school, one with grand gates and a huge grand driveway. Our limo drove along the gravel, stopping in front of the stairs and we got out of the limo, standing together as the school photographer snapped pictures of us, smiling, linking arms with each other. We walked inside and it was hard not to gasp; there was a grand staircase, like something from Titanic and we walked past it into the main room, which over-looked a garden lit by fairylights, a gazebo in the middle like in A Cinderella Story and Twilight. The main room had been decorated with flowers and trees, giving it a summer garden theme and it seemed to sparkle, despite being dimly lit. Lanterns hung from vines attached to the ceiling and it made me think of Tangled.

'Would you like a drink?' Zed asked, breaking my tail of thought.

'Sure.' I smiled and he bowed, jokily, before heading off with the guys.

'See!' Lucy said from beside me. 'Everything's great. He likes your dress and he brought you flowers.'

'I suppose you're right.' I said, casually, still worried that something was going to ruin the night. Nights like this couldn't be perfect, could they? Even if you wanted them to.

The punch was non-alcoholic and, surprisingly, no one had spiked it like they did in American movies, but we still drank plenty of it as the girls and I twirled to the songs, dancing together amongst the crowds as the guys danced too.

 _'I ain't worried 'bout nothin'_

 _I ain't wearin' na nada_

 _I'm sittin' pretty, impatient, but I know you gotta_

 _Put in them hours, I'mma make it hotter_

 _I'm sending pic after picture, I'mma get you fired.'_

The girls and I sang and danced together to Fifth Harmony, moving our hips in time to the beat and I put my hands in the air as we danced. Lucy took my hand and we danced together and I caught Zed watching me with an intense expression as I flicked my hair over my shoulder. Nate grabbed her waist and she danced against him, making me break contact and I turned around, right into Zed's chest.

'Hey.' He smiled down at me from under his thick eyelashes. My breath caught in my throat. Damn, why was he so good-looking? His arms moved to my hips and I swallowed.

'Hey.' I managed to get out.

'Don't let me stop you dancing.'

I raised my eyebrows, moving my hands so that they were on his shoulders. 'Then shut up and dance with me.'

As it got later, the slower songs came on, and I hummed along to Buble from my place at the makeshift bar as Nate whisked Lucy away and Zoe and Nelson disappeared to the dancefloor.

'This prom is pretty good.' Tina said, looking out at the couples dancing. 'Where's Zed?'

'I don't know.' I shrugged. 'I've not seen him in half an hour. Maybe he went to get some air.'

Tina hummed the song as I drummed my fingers on the counter, sipping at the punch. Across the floor, Lucy kissed Nate and I sighed. They were cute together. They loved each other. Could Zed and I be like that? I wanted us to be. Did that mean I was ready for a relationship? The idea of being hurt still hung in the air like a prison sentence.

'Tina, wow you look great. I've hardly been able to take my eyes off of you.' A guy from our English class appeared in front of Tina, practically swooning. I smiled to myself as I watched her play with her updo.

'Thanks, Dean.'

'Would you like to dance?'

She glanced over at me, ever the good friend, worried about leaving me alone. I smiled and nodded and she looked back at Dean. 'Sure.'

I watched as he led her onto the dancefloor and I fiddled with the bracelet on my wrist, the one Zed had got me. _'Give me love, gimme love, yes sir, crazy love_

 _Give me love, gimme, gimme, gimme, crazy love.'_

'Hey.' Zed appeared beside me, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. Goosebumps spread across my body at his touch and I looked over at him, with a small smile. 'Sorry to abandon you. My mum called me. Are you having fun?'

'Yeah, are you?'

'Yes, but it could be better.'

'Oh?' He reached for my hand and our fingers intertwined. I looked back up at his eyes with my bright blue pools.

'I know you're worried I'm going to hurt you Sky, but I promise I'd never do anything so stupid again.' His eyes were sincere as they looked into mine. 'And every hurt, every wound your heart has suffered over the years... I want to heal them with my kisses and I'll continue to do that if you'll let me.' It was no wonder he was a songwriter. The words he created made your needs weak and I struggled to stand as he looked at me like he was looking deep into my soul. 'I want to be able to call you my girlfriend.'

'No more hiding?'

'No more hiding.' His mouth turned upwards at the corner. 'Sure, your dad will probably kill me, but I think it's worth it because you're mine and I don't ever want to let you go.'

I bit my lip. It was this risk-taking business again. It was live in fear of falling, although I was sure it was getting too late for that, or jump and risk it all. Risk the heartbreak. Risk losing another friend. But the way Zed Benedict looked at me like I was everything to him, his whole world, was enough to make me answer the unsaid question. 'I want to be your girlfriend.' I told him and I knew I'd never been more sure of anything in my life.

'You do?' He sounded surprised but looked overjoyed at the same time. He pressed his lips to my forehead. 'Now this night is even better.'

 _'We'll do it all_

 _Everything_

 _On our own.'_

Zed squeezed my hand with his. 'Sky, would you dance with me?'

'Question or a statement?' I teased and he smiled, bring my hand to his lips and kissing it softly.

'A question.' His eyes softened and I nodded, letting him lead me to the dancefloor.

 _'We don't need_

 _Anything_

 _Or anyone.'_

He wrapped his arms around my waist and I reached mine up to his neck, a different kind of dancing to any others we had done. This wasn't the waltz or some fancy routine. It was just Zed and I, being normal teenagers, nothing else mattering as we gently moved in time to the music.

 _'If I lay here_

 _If I just lay here_

 _Would you lie with me and just forget the world?'_

Our closeness did not go unnoticed and my heart thudded against my ribcage as we moved together, our eyes locked on each other's, but without having our own private conversation. As the song came to an end, he softly sang the lyrics to me and I felt like a snowman, ready to melt. And then, without warning, he bent towards me and gently pressed his lips to mine. And for a moment, I forgot that we were in a room filled with our classmates.

'So I take it you two are official now?' Lucy said in the limo on the way back to school once prom had finished.

Zed squeezed my hand. 'Yes we are.'

My friends grinned at us both and I blushed, disliking being the centre of attention.

 _You're cute when you blush._

 _No I'm not. I'm_ not _cute._

 _You totally are._ His thumb caressed the back of my hand as the limo driver pulled into the school driveway, through the grand gates.

'Nelson, why couldn't you have an afterparty this time? It's way too early for bed.' Tina said and I was thankful for the change in subject.

'I'm hitting the music room.' Lucy shrugged. 'Completely forgot I've got to do a cover and it needs to be uploaded tomorrow.' She pulled a key out of her bag and waved it. 'Mr Smith trusts me, thankfully.'

'What are you covering?' I asked, surprised she'd not told me. I'd not even heard her rehearsing.

'22 by Taylor Swift.' She paused, looking at all of us. 'Oh my god, we should all do it.'

'What?' Nate looked surprised.

'Not me. I sound like a dying cat.' Tina wrinkled her nose.

'We could all go together and anyone that's up for it...' She looked over at me. 'Say you'll sing, Sky? Last time the subscribers loved it.'

'I don't know.'

'Go on.' Zed said from beside me, his breath tickling my ear. 'If you do it, I'm in too.'

'Okay, let's do it.' Nate nodded. 'Zack?'

'You'll need a drummer.' Zack replied.

'Sky?' Lucy looked at me, her eyes filled with hope.

'Fine.' I nodded.

Lucy beamed. 'This is going to be quite the collab.'

It took an hour to have the song ready to film. We dished out the lyrics, set up the electric guitars, drums and microphones, and rehearsed until we were happy with it. Then Nelson set up the camera and we were good to go. We didn't have an intro this time, we just counted in and then the guys started up the instruments **(AN: Thinking it would be kinda similar to Alex Goot's version).**

Nelson had the camera aimed at Lucy, zoomed in as he said, and then he was going to pan out as everyone else joined in. My friend held her microphone and started to sing. _'It feels like a perfect night to dress up like hipsters_

 _And make fun of our exes, uh uh, uh uh._

 _It feels like a perfect night for breakfast at midnight_

 _To fall in love with strangers, uh uh, uh uh.'_

The camera zoomed out, showing all of us, and Nate started to sing. _'Yeah,_

 _We're happy, free, confused, and lonely at the same time_

 _It's miserable and magical._

 _Oh, yeah.'_

Their voices blended together in a harmony and I smiled. Their voices complimented each other perfect. _'Tonight's the night when we forget about the deadlines_

 _It's time.'_

Zed, Zack and I joined in for the chorus, singing our hearts out as Lucy and I danced from our microphone spaces. _'I don't know about you_

 _But I'm feeling 22_

 _Everything will be alright_

 _If you keep me next to you_

 _You don't know about me_

 _But I'll bet you want to_

 _Everything will be alright_

 _If we just keep dancing like we're_

 _22, ooh-ooh_

 _22, ooh-ooh.'_

It was my turn next and I held the microphone, swinging the stand to the side and praying it didn't fall as I did so. _'It seems like one of those nights,_

 _This place is too crowded._

 _Too many cool kids, uh uh, uh uh_

 _It seems like one of those nights,_

 _We ditch the whole scene and end up dreaming_

 _Instead of sleeping.'_

Zed started singing from behind me with that rich, husky voice of his. _'Yeah,_

 _We're happy, free, confused, and lonely in the best way_

 _It's miserable and magical._

 _Oh, yeah_

 _Tonight's the night when we forget about the heartbreaks_

 _It's time.'_

And then we were back to blending our voices together. I felt tired after that, especially as Yves, Nelson, Zoe and Tina had ran into the shot in the last chorus, armed with balloons and confetti, dancing around as we sang. As we finished the song, we all burst out laughing as we hugged each other. A perfect ending to a perfect year at the Royal Alexandra College.

'Sky?' Lucy appeared at my side as we walked back towards the boarding houses. I pulled Zed's jacket tighter around my shoulders, protecting myself from the cool air.

'You alright?' I asked my friend as she pulled the hairpins out of her hair, letting her curls fall over her shoulders.

'I'm thinking of going back to Nate's room.' She said, blushing. It was obvious _why_ she was going back to Nate's room.

'What about Zed?' I asked.

'Well he might go to Yves' room and sleep on the floor... unless...'

'Unless...' She looked at me and I caught on. 'Unless he comes to _our_ room.'

'Pretty please?' She pouted and did her puppy dog eyes, which made me roll mine. 'Just one night?'

'You owe me.' I told her and she beamed back at me. 'And if I get in trouble, it's totally your fault.'

'You're the best.' She hugged my shoulders and I stumbled on the gravel as we reached our boarding house. She ran over to Nate and Zed, talking to them, and came back to me. 'I've got to get some things first.'

I decided I was looking forward to having a room on the ground floor next year as it was going to be far easier to sneak out. Lucy threw her rucksack over her shoulder and blew me a kiss before climbing onto he ledge and out of the window, climbing onto the tree before making her way down. Between the two of us, that tree could tell a lot of stories from our past academic year at Royal Alexandra. It was lucky the poor thing hadn't been cut down. Just moments after Lucy's disappearance, Zed appeared at the window and I hushed him as he landed on my floor with a thud. He threw down his rucksack and his guitar and closed the window, locking it, before turning back to me, an almost-shy smile on his face.

'Late night song inspiration?' I teased, eyeing the guitar.

'I wanted to play you something.' He looked at the walls. 'Are your nextdoor neighbours in?'

'I don't think so.' Lots of people had gone home until Monday, when all rooms, except for seniors (which were tomorrow) were being cleaned out and others had headed off to hotels together or into the city.

'Good.' He smiled as I sank onto the bed, brushing down my prom dress that I really didn't want to take off. For now, in this moment, I felt like a fairytale princess. He unzipped his guitar case and pulled it out, pulling it across his lap. I'd always loved this guitar. It was the one his manager wanted to replace, because it wasn't shiny and gimmicky and perfect. Some parts of it were worn and there were old stickers on it. But many _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ songs had been written on that guitar and that made it special. Zed's eyes met mine and he looked nervous. 'Promise you won't laugh?'

I raised my eyebrows. 'Is it that bad?' I teased and he frowned.

' _Sky.'_

'I'm joking. I won't laugh. Unless it's funny.'

He looked put out and I realised he _really_ was nervous. But, he sat up, adjusting his posture, and started to play a tune. One that I wanted to hum and tap along to, but then he started to sing. _'Check yes, Juliet_

 _Are you with me?_

 _Rain is falling down on the sidewalk_

 _I won't go until you come outside_

 _Check yes, Juliet_

 _Kill the limbo_

 _I'll keep tossing rocks at your window_

 _There's no turning back for us tonight.'_

 _His eyes flicked up to meet mine and I felt like we were in a concert, just the two of us._

 _'Lace up your shoes_

 _Ayo ayo_

 _Here's how we do_

 _Run, baby, run_

 _Don't ever look back_

 _They'll tear us apart if you give them the chance_

 _Don't sell your heart, don't say we're not meant to be_

 _Run, baby, run, forever we'll be_

 _You and me.'_

He gave me a lopsided smile as he quickly strummed his calloused fingers against the strings.

 _'Check yes, Juliet_

 _I'll be waiting_

 _Wishing, wanting yours for the taking_

 _Just sneak out and don't tell a soul goodbye_

 _Check yes, Juliet_

 _Here's the countdown:_

 _3, 2, 1, now fall in my arms now_

 _They can change the locks, don't let them change your mind.'_

When Zed finished the song, he looked across at me with hopeful eyes as a golden and a pink aura surrounded him; love? Passion?

'It's really good.' I said, my cheeks flushing as they often did when he gave me that intense stare of his. They were worse because I'd been fangirling in my head over Zed Benedict from _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ , who had asked me that night to be his _girlfriend_.

'It's about you.' His words came out quiet and smooth, the huskiness of his singing still there. 'Because this time, Sky, I don't want _anyone_ to break us apart. You're my Juliet and unlike Romeo, I'm not letting anyone stop us from being together and... well... _alive._ ' I swallowed as I suddenly felt very warm in my prom dress. Zed put down his guitar and moved to kneel in front of me, his eyes looking into mine. 'I've told my label that I want this song to be the next one we release. I want your dad to get sick of hearing it on the radio and the television. I want the words to sink it that he's not stopping us this time. I want everyone to know that you're the _only_ girl for me. You're mine and no one can change that.' My heart thudded in agreement against my chest as he cupped my face with his hands. ' _Please_ say something.' His confidence seemed to shrink away, just like that.

'I don't want anyone to stop us being together either.' I whispered. 'But Zed, we're from two worlds, what if-'

He cut me off with a kiss. Only Zed Benedict would have the confidence to cut off his girlfriend with a kiss. That part, the cheeky, cocky part was still there every now and then and it had just made an appearance. But I didn't care. I returned the kiss as his mouth moved against mine, making my lips feel electric as he gently caressed them, leaving a tingle, a spark. He deepened the kiss, still cupping my face as I let my hands roam his hair. His tongue slid along my bottom lip in a teasing gesture that made my breathing hard to control. I felt fuzzy. It was lucky I was sat down. And then his tongue slipped into my mouth, doing all the right things as one of his hands slowly moved down my spine, his fingers leaving a trail of sparks as they made contact with my bare back before ending up on my waist. He pulled back, almost reluctantly, and rested his forehead against mine, his deep breaths still tickling my lips.

'We might be from two worlds,' he whispered, 'but fate put us together. You're my missing piece, my other half, my soulfinder.' He sat down on the bed beside me. Then, he unbuttoned his shirt and my eyes widened as he took it off, leaving me staring at his perfectly carved, tanned body. Those biceps... That six pack... I swallowed and bit my lip and his eyes watched my teeth grazing my bottom lip. Then he took my hand and placed it on his chest, under his heart. There was a mark on his skin, it was new, fresh. Still pink at the edges. A beautiful black compass, about half the size of my palm, tattooed onto his skin.

'A compass.' I said as realisation set in. On my bedside table there was a little jewellery box containing a compass on a chain. The one Zed had given me back in Morzine. He placed his hand over mine, holding it in place on his hot skin and I could feel the gentle thudding of his heart beneath my palm.

'For my soulfinder.' He whispered and this time I was the one to kiss him because the way he was looking at me, the emotion, his pretty, sparkly eyes, just got too much. I kissed with a sense of urgency and he released my hand as he held me at the waist. I moved my hand along the bare skin of his chest and he groaned into my mouth. His kisses became more passionate, setting my pulse racing and my temperature climbing. He pulled me onto his lap so that I was straddling him and, for once, I was a fraction taller than him as we kissed, one of his hands caressing my bare back and the other tangling in my hair, which was probably no longer as perfect as it had started out. ' _Sky.'_ Even the way he whispered my name was like a song. A sexy song that made me weak and the knees. I felt breathless, but I didn't care. I continued kissing him, like my life depended on it, like the world was going to end at any moment. I bit his lip and he groaned, moving his face away from mine. 'We'd better stop.' He said in almost a growl, his voice low.

'What?' I felt taken aback. Had I done something wrong?

'You've not done anything wrong.' He said in a husky voice, reading my mind. 'But if we keep kissing and you do things like _that_ I think I'm going to lose control.' His breathing was hard and fast, just like mine.

'Sorry.' I apologised. Maybe biting his lip wasn't the best idea. 'I got carried away.'

'You and me both.' He tucked a loose tendril of hair behind my ear and kissed my nose. 'Shall we try and get some sleep?'

I nodded. 'I've got to go and do some more painting tomorrow. Sucks that Zoe and Tina aren't around to help. Lucy and I are going to have our work cut out.'

'I could help? And I bet Lucy could persuade Nate too.' He wiggled his eyebrows and I swatted him, trying to get off of his lap, but he held me in place, grinning.

'That might not be a good idea.' I bit my lip as I thought of the fangirling over the _Seven Minutes in Heaven's_ launch party photos. They'd get torn to shreds and they'd be fighting me for Zed.

'Fans? More a reason to come?'

'Stop stealing my thoughts!' I nudged him in the rock-hard, bare chest. 'Ow.'

He took my hand and kissed the palm, gently, sending electricity flowing through my body. 'Come in, we could come and help and then the fans will be happy. Might get them helping you too?' He suggested. 'And if we finish early, then I can take you on a date.'

'A date?' That sounded like a great idea. 'Where?'

'I have a few ideas.' He teased. 'But obviously, if you're going to be taking a while painting...'

'Fine, you can help, but text Zack. If we're doing decorating with _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ then we need the triple whammy.'


	38. When will my reflection show

_**AN: If you like this story- please check out my new Finding Sky fanfic too as this one will soon be coming to an end. There may be a sequel but as of yet I'm undecided.**_

'Good morning Sky.' Josie said in greeting as she answered the door to Lucy and I. Her eyes flicked to behind us, where Zed, Nate and Zack were stood, charming smiles on their faces as they stood in their triangle formation, muscular arms across their chests, like they were posing for the latest _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ poster. 'No Tina and Zoe today?'

'They're away for the weekend.' I replied. 'But I brought reinforcements.' I signalled to the guys. 'Josie, this is Zed, Nate and Zack. And Zed's brother, Yves, will come and help out this afternoon.'

She eyeballed them with curiosity. 'I'm sure I've seen you boys somewhere before.' Zed grinned a cocky grin and I gave him a stern look. 'Well the more the merrier, come on in.' She stepped aside and we walked into Oak House. 'Would you like to see the communal rooms? The new furniture arrived and it looks fantastic.' She smiled, proudly and I nodded.

'We'd love to.'

She led us to the Games Room first, which looked cool with a cleaned pool table, beanbags and square armchairs, a large painting of a football stadium on the wall next to the flatscreen television. Then there was the dining room, with its statement wall of a forest, and a lovely new table and chairs. And then the living room, where Lola and Evee sat watching The Vampire Diaries, on the new grey corner sofa, amongst brightly coloured cushions that matched the statement wall, which had stripes of pink, yellow and blue.

'It looks great.' I said and the two girls turned their heads our way at the sound of our voices. And then they registered the boys and their jaws dropped.

'No freakin' way!' Lola squealed, rubbing her eyes like she was seeing things.

'Lola, language! We have visitors.' Josie scolded, tutting.

'Yeah, _Seven Minutes in Heaven!'_ Evee stood up, her cheeks flushed and her purple eyes bright as Lola moved beside her. 'Are we dreaming?'

'Definitely not.' Zed replied with his signature cocky grin. I'm sure the girls swooned. At least it looked that way as Zed spoke. 'Want me to pinch you?'

'No way. If this is a dream then I'm _never_ waking up.' Lola said, hands on her hips. 'What are you guys even doing _here?_ '

'Apparently there's bedrooms that need painting.' Nate said with his charming, friendly smile.

'Start with mine!' Both girls chorused and Lucy and I smiled a knowing smile at each other. Were we that bad? Maybe about _our_ boys. I smiled. I liked the sound of that. _Our_ boys. _My_ boy.

 _My girl._ Zed's voice filled my head, telling me that he'd been picking at my thoughts again, and I turned to see him watching me, his smile reaching his pretty eyes. I blushed and bit my lip and his eyes moved to look at my lips before meeting my blue pools once again. Maybe everything was going to be okay afterall.

'Hi Phoenix.' I greeted the brunette that afternoon as I moved to work on painting her room with Lucy. She sat, hunched over, on the bed, which had been covered with a dust sheet and moved into the middle of the room. She didn't even acknowledge us. She stayed seated, her iPod headphones plugged into her ears. Lucy made a face and I knew her well enough to know what she was thinking; what was Phoenix's problem? I carried the New York City wallpaper into the room as Lucy carried the paints and brushes, putting them down by the first wall we were working on. I moved to prepare the wallpaper and that's when things got weird. I was moving really slow. Everything was moving really slow. Phoenix was moving towards my handbag, where it sat on the floor, and she started rifling through it.

'Hey!' Yves was suddenly there. How did he do that? I blinked as I looked over at Phoenix, who had frozen stiff, probably because she'd been caught out. 'It's _you_.' Yves said, simply.

'You know each other?' I looked at him, puzzled.

'We're familiar with each other.' He frowned and took the bag from her. 'What are you doing, _thief?'_

She tried to pass him but he stood in the way, blocking her only exit, as Lucy and I watched with confusion. There was a silence as she tried to struggle past him and then, suddenly, Yves' facial expression changed. He no longer looked angry and fierce. His facial features had softened and he had visibly relaxed. I rubbed my forehead in confusion. 'Yves?'

His fingers wrapped gently around Phoenix's wrist as he looked over at me. 'Hi Sky, sorry I'm late.' What was even going on? 'I'm just going to have a word with... Phoenix... and then I'll be right back.'

'No you're not.' She frowned and there was something resembling fear in her eyes.

'Humour me.' He said and he led her away.

'Okay, so what the hell just happened?' Lucy asked me as Zed appeared in the doorway. A smile was playing on his lips as he ran his hand through his hair.

 _What is it?_ I asked him, picking paint off of my hand so that my friend didn't think I was simply just staring at my boyfriend.

 _I believe Yves just found his soulfinder._

The whole thing seemed crazy as I sat between Zed's legs, resting my head against his chest, that evening as we looked out at the lake. Yves had found his soulfinder? His soulfinder was Phoenix? And she'd tried to rob me by doing some weird slowing-time thing. Zed's arms wrapped around me as he rested his chin on top of my head.

'I can't believe it.' I whispered, looking out at the orangey colouring of the lake.

'I know.' Zed said, softly. 'My other brothers are going to be seriously pissed.'

'How did you know?' I asked.

'I can read my brother's minds too, which isn't always a good thing.' He sounded tense as he said it. 'You seemed tense, puzzled, angry and I was trying to find out why and then... well, it was just there. This picture of Phoenix and Yves' thoughts about how happy he was that he'd found her.'

'She tried to steal from me.' What had she been after? A key to my apartment? My phone? Money? A link to the Royal family.

'I know.' His body tensed slightly. 'But I don't think she could help herself.'

I turned to face him. 'I don't think so either. I don't think I'm angry with her. She has no home to go to and she has to leave Oak Tree soon. I think she just needs some help.' I thought back to when I'd first met her. Her knees were bloody, jeans ripped, she looked tired. 'I think she might be in some trouble.'

'Maybe.' He replied, thoughtfully. 'But I'm sure that Yves will get her out of it. That's what soulfinders are for. Supporting each other.' He kissed my nose and I smiled. 'Speaking of which, what are yours and Lucy's plans for next weekend?'

'Nothing?'

'Wrong.' He kissed my forehead this time. 'We're playing at Wildfest in Essex. Wanna come watch?'

'At a music festival?' I thought of portaloos and uncomfortable nights sleeping on the ground in a tent where anyone could just walk in. It didn't sound like the safest idea.

'We're staying at my house. It's only a twenty minute drive from the campsite.' He said, picking my thoughts again. I frowned. 'What?'

'You've got to stop doing that.'

'You've got to learn to put up a shield.' He trailed a few kissed along my forehead and, despite my best efforts, I couldn't help but relax, all frown lines wiped away by his touch. 'But what do you say? Are you in? We can hang backstage or go and see some of the other acts.'

Part of me had always wanted to go to a music festival, even though I wouldn't be up for staying over in a smelly tent. Glamping was more my style. Or at least sleeping in a tent with an airbed and a pillow. 'Sure, why not.'

That night, Simon sent me the photos from prom. I sat down in the dorm room with Lucy and we flicked through the photos on my laptop together. They were fantastic. There were posed and natural photos of the girls and I and they made me smile. How had I not known these girls a year ago? They felt like the sisters I'd never had. Then there were the cute picturs of Lucy and Nate, the ones that made her blush and smile, love in her eyes. And then there were the photos of Zed and I. There was a photo of Zed with his arms wrapped around my waist, stood behind me. Then the same position, but I turned to talk to him and we were laughing. Another photo was of us looking at each other, and then one of him dancing with me to no music, both of us laughing. I found myself thinking that we actually made a pretty good couple.

Nelson uploaded the video that night too, of our group cover of Taylor Swift's _22._ I hadn't known it had been uploaded until Lucy and I turned on the television as we packed the following day. The entertainment news was on and it was the top story.

'Lucy Collins, Youtuber and daughter of popstar Martin Collins, has uploaded an epic cover of _22_ by Taylor Swift, featuring your favourite rockstars, _Seven Minutes in Heaven_ , and Her Royal Highness Princess Sky.' Lucy turned up the volume on the television. 'The video has already recieved almost 500,000 views and features the group singing and having fun on their prom night. If you've not yet seen it, check it out now.'

I bit my lip. 'I hope my dad isn't too pissed about that.'

'You didn't do anything inappropriate.' Lucy replied. 'Have you heard from him recently?'

'He's in Spain visiting the King and probably crown Prince Miguel too.' I wrinkled my nose. 'As long as he doesn't invite me for a visit, it's fine.'

On Monday, we found out where our new dormrooms would be from September. Excitement bubbled in my stomach as we were led to the ground floor, where seniors were stationed in the boarding house. I'd heard that the rooms were bigger. And, of course, it was also a lot easier to sneak out of your room from the ground floor. The senior rooms in our boarding house overlooked the school gardens and the long corridors led to the senior unisex communal room, with computers, a television, sofas, pool table and bookshelves filled with books to read for leisure. Mine and Lucy's new room, Room 8, was right down the end of the corridor, tucked away from the bathrooms and the communal room, but thankfully next door to Tina and Zoe's new room.

'They weren't kidding about it being bigger.' Lucy said, gawping at our new room, where we'd spend our final year at school. The room was about twice the size as our previous one and the layout meant that it appeared more spacious too. The carpets were soft and a light grey colour, the walls white and there was a large window looking out on the garden, light grey curtains draped at the sides of it. The beds were bunks, one with a light blue sofa under it and the other with a white cabinet that would work as a television stand. By the windows were two desks, one on each side of the room. At the foot of each bed was a small dresser and a wardrobe for each of us too.

'It's definitely more roomy.' I replied as we walked inside, exploring. 'Not sure how I feel about sleeping in a bed that high up, though.'

'We'll be fine.' Her smile was a little reassuring but I still wondered if my clumsiness would make sleeping so far off the ground safe.

We spent the day cleaning and polishing and unpacking, decorating our new room exactly how we wanted it and filling up the wardrobe with our clean, ironed uniforms ready for September. We strung up fairylights over the top of the window and around the bed frames, making the room more girly, and we covered the noticeboard with pictures from prom of us with the guys and some of our girl-only photos too.

We left our room that afternoon, leaving behind the school we wouldn't be returning to until September, when the new academic year started. Wilfred drove me to the palace, as I was going to be spending the summer holidays moving between the palace, my room at Sally and Simon's and my own apartment in Kensington. I headed to the palace first, as I knew I had to persuade my father to let me go to the music festival that weekend, now that he was back from Spain. But, unfortunately, when I arrived, there was a surprise waiting for me.

'Your highness.' Prince Miguel greeted me with his thick accent when I entered my father's office. He bowed and reached for my hand, kissing it.

'Prince Miguel.' I said through a false smile. 'What a lovely surprise.'

'Prince Miguel and his father are staying in the palace this week whilst they deal with some business at the Spanish Embassy.' My father said through a sly smile.

'How... wonderful.' I faked a smile, adjusting my blouse. Now I _knew_ why Nina had insisted that I changed before going to see my father. She was in on the act.

'Simon and Sally e-mailed over your prom photos.' My father said, bringing them up on his laptop. I noticed that he didn't open any of Zed and I as he flicked through my solo shots and the photos of me with my girl friends. 'Did you have a good time?'

His fake interest in my life was wearing. 'Yes.' I said, keeping my voice even despite the uneasy feeling my father was creating in my stomach. 'We did.'

'You are hermosa... beautiful, chica.' Prince Miguel said to me with a warm smile, his deep brown eyes looking into mine. If it hadn't been for the fact I was in a relationship and for the fact that I didn't want my father setting me up, he probably would have been quite good-looking **(AN: Tyler Posey)**. He wasn't as tall as Zed, perhaps about 5ft9 with slightly curly dark hair, tanned skin and dark eyes. He was cleanly shaven and his teeth were a sparkling white. Another Prince Yummy for Tina to gawp over.

'Thank you.' I replied, keeping my formality. In this moment I wasn't Sky. I was Princess Sky. And we could be two very different people.

'I must go and find my father.' Prince Miguel said and I released a breath I didn't know I'd been holding. 'If you'll excuse me, I will see you at dinner.' He slipped out of my father's office and I folded my arms across my chest, no longer needing to be ladylike.

'What is he doing here?' I asked.

'I've already told you.' My father said, his voice smooth.

'I don't doubt it was a coincidence, father.' I said, keeping my voice even.

'It will be nice for you to spend some time with Prince Miguel.' He replied, ignoring my comment. 'He is a gentleman and the future heir to the throne. His father is a good friend of mine.'

'I know.' I said. I remembered Princess Isabella of Spain, one of Prince Miguel's three sisters. My brother had had quite a thing for her when we'd visited Paris at the beginning of the year. She was sickeningly pretty and looked the perfect princess.

My father's mouth twitched, almost into a smile. 'So to what pleasure do I owe this?'

'I'm going to a music festival this weekend.' I said, not even bothering to ask.

'Sorry? You're _going_ to a music festival? Now why would you do that? Tents and mud and wellington boots? You're a princess, for goodness sake.' He looked amused and it made anger bubble in my stomach.

'I am a princess, yes, but I'm also a teenage girl and I want to do normal things like go to a music festival.' I sucked in a breath. 'My friends are going and we won't be staying in a tent. It's only one day and I can stay at the Benedict's.'

'With that boy?' His amused expression disappeared. 'Zed Benedict?'

'Sure.' I shrugged.

'I saw you two looking pretty cosy in your prom photographs.' He folded his arms across his chest this time. 'I hope you are aware that even though Mr Benedict saved your life, it does not change things. He is a _rockstar_ and you are a _princess_. You need to be with somebody of noble blood.'

'He might be a rockstar but he's changed and he's a good person.'

'But not of noble blood.'

'This isn't the fifteenth century.' I frowned. 'Times have moved on. Why am I not allowed to be with who I want? Prince Sebastien is dating the daughter of a fisherman!' I felt irritated.

'Is this what it's about? You're rebelling because of Prince Sebastien?'

'Of course not.'

'I can't believe that you were disappointing enough for him to run off with the daughter of a fisherman in the first place.' His voice was bitter and it made my stomach churn.

'What?' I croaked.

'You obviously didn't do a good enough job of keeping him happy, which is an awful shame because I had big plans for you. You could have been Queen of Norway and your children would have been heirs to the throne.' His eyes burned into mine, making me look down. 'And now he could be having the children of some peasant.'

'His soulfinder.'

'Soulfinders do not exist.' His voice was bitter. 'That's one fairytale you should have stopped believing a long time ago. And even if they did, they do not mean anything. You are a princess Sky. You cannot date a popstar. It's ridiculous you'd even consider it.'

'But-'

'No. Now go and get ready for dinner and I hope Mr Benedict won't be making an unwelcome appearance. I don't want him inside my palace ever again.' I turned away and he spoke again. 'And no more Youtube performances. I don't want people thinking that my daughter, their princess, is some pathetic wannabe popstar either.'

I cried when I was in the safety of my room. I couldn't hold back the tears any longer and I sank onto the bed as the tears ran down my cheeks, burning me. Rapunzel might have been stuck in a tower, but in this moment I was too. I was trapped, not literally but metaphorically. Somehow finding out I was a royal had ruined my future. I wasn't expected to go to University and if I did, I couldn't make a career out of my music. My future career was princess and apparently that meant that I couldn't love whoever I wanted. Couldn't marry or have a family with whoever I wanted. I was helpless. Juliet.

Dinner was awful and I dreaded every moment. I sat in silence until I was asked questions, by the King of Spain or Prince Miguel. Queen Roseanna was worried about me, that much was sure, but she couldn't say a thing. Not in front of my father. As soon as I was excused, I bit back tears and went to the library, my sanctuary, and I sat down on at the piano, adjusting my floaty tea dress so that it covered my lap properly. Music was my saviour and I hoped no one would ever take that from me. I ran my fingers over the keys, playing any tune that came to mind, and then my fingers shifted into a Disney song that seemed almost too perfect.

 _'Look at me_

 _I will never pass for a perfect bride_

 _Or a perfect daughter_

 _Can it be_

 _I'm not meant to play this part?_

 _Now I see_

 _That if I were truly to be myself_

 _I would break my family's heart.'_

A tear rolled down my cheek and I closed my eyes as I played.

 _'Who is that girl I see_

 _Staring straight_

 _Back at me?_

 _Why is my reflection someone_

 _I don't know?_

 _Somehow I cannot hide_

 _Who I am_

 _Though I've tried_

 _When will my reflection show-'_

I froze at the sound of a creaking floorboard. I wasn't alone. I wiped my tear and turned my head. Prince Miguel stood, watching me.

'Lo siento, your highness.' He apologised.

'How long have you been stood there.' I said, trying to act calm.

'Since you started singing.' He looked sheepish and I tensed. 'It's okay, you have a wonderful voice. Beautiful.'

My heart thudded against my chest and I felt bile rising. 'Please don't tell my father.'

'He does not like you singing?' I shook my head and he sat down on the arm of the armchair. 'But why?' I glanced away. 'He does not want a singing princess, no?'

'Sí.' I gave a small smile as I looked at the floor and when I realised he wasn't going to reply, I looked up. His mouth twitched at the corners.

'You speak Spanish?'

'Very little.' I admitted. 'Languages were never my strength.'

'My English has got better over the last few months. I've been learning on a course every day.' I could tell. It was getting better. More fluent. More like Seb and Lolly's was. 'It's expected of Royals. To speak many languages.' I nodded. 'But I also think that Royals should have to play an instrument. Piano or violin, sí?' His mouth tugged at the corners and I know he was trying to reassure me. 'I won't tell your father.'

'Grassy-arse.'

He laughed, a surprisingly melodic sound. 'Gracias.' He corrected. 'You sound like you are talking of someone's... ' He paused, thinking of the word. 'Behind.' I found myself laughing too and he smiled. 'I'm Miguel.' He held out his hand for me.

'Sky.'

First impressions can be decieving, I learnt that evening. Prince Miguel had seemed so dull, perhaps because his English was patchy and sometimes he wasn't sure what I was saying, but it was evidently getting better. And I was no longer afraid he was slimey either. Whether it had been an act or not, I wasn't aware, but his aura did not reflect bad intentions. There was something different, unusual about him, and I realised why the following day. I walked into the library to find him sat there. And his cup of tea appeared to be floating as he sipped at it. My gasp took him by surprise and he jumped, losing his concentration, and the tea cup fell onto his lap, spilling his tea. He cursed, at least I was assuming it was a curse word, in Spanish and his eyes were wide as he looked at me.

'I can explain!' He said in panic.

'No need.' I gave him a small smile and squinted at the teaspoon on the table. I'd moved something once before using telekinesis, when I'd been with Seb. But I hadn't been able to do it since. I concentrated so hard, focussing on the energy in the room, and then it shuffled over, only by a few centimetres, but enough. I rubbed my head as it throbbed and Miguel visibly relaxed.

'You are a savant?' He seemed surprised by this knowledge. I gave a small smile and sank into the armchair across from him.

'I am.'

He looked at me, his head lopsided and his face curious. 'That is a surprise. And what is your... ability?'

'I can see feelings.' I fiddled with my hands as I walked over to him. 'Each feeling has a colour.'

'So tell me, how am I feeling?'

'Surprised. Interested. Curious.' I replied, reading the aura around him. He looked impressed and his smile reflected that.

'That must be useful.'

'Sometimes.' I shrugged. 'But not always.'

Prince Miguel and his father returned to Spain on Friday night and my father headed up to Scotland to deal with some business there. He hadn't mentionned the music festival again, but my mind had already been made up; I was going. Whether he wanted me to or not. I packed my overnight bag and headed up to Essex with Wilfred early on Saturday morning, picking up Lucy from the train station on the way. She squealed excitedly when she saw me, pulling me into a hug as Wilfred cleared his throat and tapped his watch.

'Eek, he's on a tight schedule.' Lucy whispered and Wilfred nodded at her.

'If you want to have time to drop your overnight belongings at the Benedict's house we must move quickly.' He replied.

We climbed back into the car and Lucy and I filled each other in on the week we'd had as we continued the drive. We arrived soon after and Karla Benedict met us at the door, a happy expression on her face. 'Girls!' She said, excitedly, and she pulled us each in for a hug. 'How are you both?'

'Great thanks.' Lucy replied on our behalf and Karla smiled her warm smile.

'It's lovely to hear that you and Zed are back together, Sky.' Karla said to me.

'Mum, Zed told you not to be all mushy!' Yves' voice appeared from behind her and I glanced over her shoulder in surprise when I saw Phoenix stood there. Her hair had been cut and she almost looked healthy in her unripped jeans and a black vest top. She smiled at us, shyly.

'Hi Sky.' She said. 'I'm sorry about your back.' She looked over at Lucy, warily, not saying anymore.

'It's okay.' I replied with a smile. 'We've moved on from it.' Lucy shot me an unquestionnable look and I knew she was unaware, thankfully.

'Come inside.' Karla instructed. 'I'll drop you off at the festival when it starts in an hour. I've already got your VIP passes from the boys.'

Karla fussed over us, taking our belongings to the guest room we'd used before and making us each a cup of tea whilst we changed into suitable festival attire. Despite being late July, the weather wasn't ideal so I'd opted for black high-waisted jeans, my converse, a strapless white lace bralet and a light pink kimono. It was festival-cool I decided, but Lucy definitely looked more rock-chick with her black dungarees and lace off-the-shoulder crop top underneath. We both let our hair fall in curls and threw on a flower crown for good measure. When I looked up, Phoenix was stood in the doorway shyly. 'Are you almost ready to go?'

'Nearly.' I smiled, touching up my make-up. I looked at the variety of flower crowns we'd picked out and passed her one. 'Here.'

'Thanks.' She looked nervous, almost on edge. 'I meant what I said. I really am sorry. Stealing is in the past. I'm _trying_ to change it but someone...' She frowned. 'Someone _asked_ me too.' More like told her to, I gathered from her facial expression. 'The Benedicts are trying to help.'

'I understand.' I gave her a sympathetic smile and Lucy slipped out of the room to go to the toilet.

'Yves said you're a savant too?' She whispered. 'And Zed's soulfinder?'

I nodded. 'Right on both counts.'

She ran a hand through her new layered hairdo. 'Is this soulfinder business real?'

I thought about Seb and then I thought about how Zed and I had found each other again. 'I didn't believe it at first, but yes, I think it is.' I told her. 'It's like you can't help being drawn to your soulfinder, right?' She nodded. 'I think it's a very powerful fate. Unstoppable.'

She gave me a small smile. 'And how did I end up with someone as cute as Yves?'

'And how did I end up with Zed?' I chuckled. 'Obviously fate didn't care that we're complete opposites in every way.'

'Opposites attract.' She said, looking into my eyes. 'Yves is ridiculously clever and his family are great. Yet he's ended up with me. No parents and a complete waste of space.'

'I know how it feels.' I told her, instinctively reaching out to touch her arm. 'I didn't have any family either.'

'But you're a princess.'

I sighed and sank down onto the bed. 'Why does everyone think that title defines me? I'm a princess who has snuck off to a music festival her father, the King, said no to because I just want to be a normal teenager.' She looked at me in surprise. 'I grew up just like you, Phoenix. I had no family. My mother had died and everything before I was adopted by Sally and Simon is pretty much a blur. As you've probably read in the papers, I only found out I was a princess in September last year.'

She nodded. 'I had no idea you'd been in a children's home or anything.'

'Yeah.' I shrugged. 'Most people don't. They just assume I'm a stereotypical princess. All ballgowns and fancy parties and polo.' I wrinkled my nose and she laughed.

'But aren't the ballgowns nice?'

'Oh, don't get my wrong I _love_ the ballgowns. Just not the parties I have to wear them too. Sometimes I'd rather be in my converse hanging out with my friends.'

'Sounds good to me!' Lucy beamed, appearing in the doorway again. 'Nice converse by the way.' She winked. 'Is this because Zed said he likes you in converse?'

I blushed. 'Not at all.'

'Mhmmm.'

'Girls, are you ready to roll?' Yves called out from downstairs. I slipped the flower crown onto Phoenix's head.

'Ready Phoenix?'

'Call me Phee.' She smiled.

'Ready Phee?' Lucy beamed.

She nodded. 'Let's go.'


End file.
